The Positionless Press?
How Racing can take advantage of roster strengths and keep the league off balance
The NWSL is almost back and the Butchertown Rundown Podcast is ready! Listen to Becky, Kaitlyn, and Tom as they discuss Racing Louisville FC, the new lineup, and their hopes and expectations for the 2026 season: Listen here!
While researching and writing the Racing Louisville FC pre-season roster previews the past few weeks a pattern started to emerge. In every article, except the goalkeepers of course, multiple players emerged who can play multiple positions and even on multiple lines and there were even more for whom positional versatility could have been discussed but wasn’t.
Racing’s lone remaining original player, Lauren Milliet, has played almost exclusively as an attacking right back for Racing during her five years with the club. But she joined Racing from the North Carolina Courage where she played attacking midfield and even defensive midfield. But, even as an outside back, Milliet often finds herself pushing up field into the attack.
Arin Wright and Ellie Jean form the core of Racing’s defense in a strong center defender duo but prior to joining Racing both had experience as outside backs and Wright spent time on both wings and in the midfield for Chicago.
Courtney Peterson’s primary experience is as an attacking left back whose strong crosses make her one of the most valuable set up women in the league but she also has spent time at center back when Wright or Jean have been unavailable.
Avery Ciorbu joins Racing’s defensive group this year but when she signed with Racing as a rookie it was as a midfielder hinting at confidence from the coaching staff in her versatility.
Macy Blackburn played as an outside back in college but she was regularly found up in the attack as evidenced by her status as Texas Tech’s all-time assists leader.
Quincy McMahon, acquired during the off-season from the San Diego Wave played both left and right back professionally during her rookie campaign but also saw time as a forward in college with UCLA.
Makenna Morris joined Racing from the Washington Spirit last year and has been effective on all three positional lines during her professional career. Initially listed as a defender in 2025, she has been listed as a midfielder entering 2026.
Macey Hodge and Marissa DiGrande can both play multiple positions in the midfield and while Taylor Flint has emerged as the best center defensive midfielder in the NWSL with Racing, she was an attacking forward early in her career.
Ella Hase signed with Racing as a defender out of Duke University where she played as both a forward and an outside back. She repeated that positional versatility with Racing before settling into the left winger role during the second half of 2025. And, if pre-season clips are any indication, she’s seeing time as a right winger while Emma Sears is in US Women’s National Team camp.
Kayla Fischer signed with Racing as a midfielder and has seen time in multiple midfield roles as well as in all three positions on the front line.
Emma Sears is primarily a right footed right winger but has seen time as a left winger for the US Women’s National Team. Time will tell if that ability to switch sides mid game will transfer back to club play.
Racing’s newest veteran, Rachel Hill, primarily plays on the right side of the pitch but does so as both a midfielder and a forward.
Rookies Taylor White and Maya Lardner both played multiple positions on the front line in college though time will tell if they do the same professionally or if one one of them settles into a pairing with Sarah Weber in the 9, freeing Kayla Fischer to play multiple roles.
Nearly every player on Racing’s roster can play multiple positions and many can play on different lines. But what does it mean? Perhaps nothing. But maybe, just maybe, we’re seeing signs of Racing’s continued team identity maturing in real time.
The High Press
Throughout their young history Racing Louisville FC has struggled to find and commit to a team identity both on and off the field. That started to change in 2024 during Bev Yanez’s first year as head coach and the team fully committed to it in year 2.
At this point it is no secret that Racing wants to play a tactical high press. They truly don’t seem to care about possession. In fact, some of their worst games in 2025 were when they were forced into high possession games.
The high press relies on a high defensive line to pin opponents back in their own defensive third and force and capitalize on mistakes. Teams implementing the high press do not rely on traditional midfield play with strong passing build up, which is good for Racing whose midfield depth is certainly a question mark entering the 2026 season.
Committing to a high pressing tactical style requires players to maintain a high fitness level, a strong ability to adjust, rapidly switching between offense and defense, and a strong understanding of everyone’s role on the pitch.
Who Needs Positions Anyway?
For many Americans, especially the more casual soccer fans, the introduction to the concept of Total Football came courtesy of the show Ted Lasso.
Typically attributed to Rinus Michels who introduced the system in the 1970s while managing the Dutch club team Ajax and the Netherlands Men’s National Team, the basic idea of Total Football is that any outfield (non-keeper) player can take over the role of any teammate. Every player is capable of playing every position so when one player moves out of position they are replaced by a teammate sliding into the position left vacant.
But what does Total Football have to do with Racing Louisville, a club who has only recently found their own identity?
A Positionless High Press
Head Coach Bev Yanez has made no secret of the team’s commitment to the high press, even noting that every player acquired by Racing this off-season was extensively scouted and targeted for their skills and ability to fit into Racing’s style of play. But, could Racing be setting themselves up to play hybrid style taking elements of Total Football and integrating it with the high press?
Looking at Racing’s roster, it seems possible, even likely that this is the case.
Entering her third season as head coach, Yanez is increasingly in charge of a roster that has her finger prints all over it. Many recent departures are players who were brought in by previous head coaches and general managers and new acquisitions are scouted specifically for Racing’s system. Make no doubt of it, this is Bev Yanez’s (and General Manager Caitlyn Flores Milby) roster.
Racing’s roster is young, gritty, and physical. But they are also incredibly flexible as demonstrated above. That flexibility could be the cornerstone of the next step in Racing’s tactical identity: a hybrid of the high press and total football.
Racing has a strong defensive spine, so to speak, that is unlikely to change throughout the year. Taylor Flint in the center defensive midfield position will likely pair with Racing’s center backs, primarily Arin Wright and Ellie Jean to form the foundation of Racing’s defense.
Yanez and Milby have constructed a roster full of players who are flexible and capable of playing multiple positions on multiple lines. Flint, Wright, and Jean may find that the three of them will be surrounded by a high pressing, positionless unit where players could be in a defensive role one moment and on the attack the next.
What are the Advantages and Disadvantages?
A positionless style would take full advantage of the skillsets of Racing’s roster and potentially compensate for concerns surrounding roster depth, especially in the midfield. We saw this a little last year when Janine Sonis shifted between the right wingers position during the first half of the year and both outside back roles during the second half of the year to compensate for various injuries but 2026 may see an increasingly flexible unit as a whole.
Additionally, the positionless style of play is largely unique to the NWSL meaning opponents will have a more difficult time scouting and preparing for Racing. While Gotham has played a positionless style the past couple years, they have not done so in conjunction with the high press meaning every week Racing will be offering a unique tactical approach to their games that opponents must adjust for.
The one big potential disadvantage to this style surrounds the players themselves. If the players are not confident in their ability to shift positions, shift roles, and cover their teammates’ movements, holes will emerge and Racing’s defense will be exposed. This is already a potential weakness in the high press where high paced transitional attacks can catch a high press on the back foot so it will be critical for Racing’s entire roster to be prepared each and every week.
We will return to this idea later in the season to see how right (or wrong!) we were, but as the 2026 regular season looms just a week away, I am predicting that Racing will adopt the positionless high press to take advantage of their roster strengths and keep opponents off balance.
Keep the great content coming! As a Racing supporter in Maine, it really helps me feel more connected. Hope to see the Legion in Boston come October!