Thomas Costello covers the NWSL for Beyond Women’s Sports, which offers stories throughout the world of women’s professional and collegiate athletics. Follow Thomas on Twitter @1ThomasCostello.
Facing its first test of match congestion this week, Racing Louisville FC on Wednesday played the second of what will be three games in seven days. While Christy Holly’s side started the run with Sunday’s win over the Houston Dash, the more recent 2-0 loss to the North Carolina Courage looks like one that showed more for the club in the longterm.
Before Racing goes travels to play the Chicago Red Stars on Saturday, here are takeaways from the midweek defeat that offered some glimpses into how this expansion team is improving.
Growth in mentality
On May 28, Louisville traveled to Cary, N.C., and left with a 5-0 loss to this same Courage side. It was a match in which Racing only trailed by a goal until the 63rd minute, when the hosts scored the first of three goals in a 12-minute window. It was a lapse that came a week after Racing’s first win in franchise history and could have demoralized the expansion side. Wednesday proved that hasn’t been the case.
Coming off another victory, this time three days prior against the Houston Dash, Racing allowed the door to open with a pair of first half goals before locking down, not deterring Louisville from its game plan. That was, by the way, with a lineup featuring three players who hadn’t started for the club before and a multitude of changes on the short turnaround.
“It’s really hard to be able to contain a team like North Carolina after making (six) changes,” he said. “(That) was something we were very proud of, and then they came out in the second half and started to try to embed themselves in the game and make a big impact.”
Louisville allowed 13 shots in the first half. With second half adjustments, Racing limited the Courage to six tries while lowering shots inside the penalty area from 11 in the first half to just three in the second. For a young, newly formed team, it shows a strengthening mentality in not letting the lows of a match lower the overall energy and confidence.
A surprise return
For all of the justifiable excitement surrounding the initial appearances of international signings Gemma Bonner, Ebony Salmon and the eventual debut of Nadia Nadim, Wednesday featured the first team minutes for a one of Racing’s originals.
Defender Addisyn Merrick, acquired through the 2020 expansion draft, at one point received a doctor’s diagnosis that called for her to sit out a year due to a back injury. That came after Merrick’s rookie season with the Courage in which the fullback started all eight matches, logging 588 minutes.
After more medical opinions, plenty of patience from Holly and support from all levels of Racing Louisville FC, Merrick came into Wednesday’s match in the 81st minute.
“For a while, two weeks ago, I thought I was out for the rest of the season,” said Merrick. The former Kansas Jayhawk stepped onto the field and, while minutes were limited, showed how she’ll improve the Racing Louisville backline. Merrick possesses speed and can work through small spaces on the field to transition the ball from offense to defense.
Racing is staying patient with her return to full 90 minutes. Shifting from not playing all year to two weeks later stepping on the field is exciting, and credit for recovery lies not only with Merrick and doctors, but the club around her.
“The team’s been amazing in helping me get back,” she said. “Everyone’s been really good with this, keeping me uplifted and trying to get me back in as quick as possible so everyone’s been great.”
Depth on display
Wednesday’s match gave Holly the best chance to see some different players in a competitive match. Defender Sinclaire Miramontez and forwards Cheyna Matthews and Jorian Baucom made their initial starts as some who are normally in the lineup took a night off or played limited minutes as subs.
Racing did sit farther back in the first half, seeing what the Courage were bringing and giving time for the starting lineup to build chemistry.
Matthews and Baucom displayed strength in defense as both cleared multiple Courage chances out of the penalty area. Baucom and midfielder Lauren Milliet also both had an opportunity on the counterattack that made it to the final Courage defender before losing the ball to tackles.
“To see three debutantes, and for them to go out and perform like that, and work in a system against a world class team, it’s phenomenal,” said Holly.
Attribute their performances to a hunger that stretches from the bottom to the top of the roster. The newcomer Salmon is a perfect example. So far, the 20-year-old England native has two appearances as a substitute and one wonder strike. Holly shared an interaction with her that came after the final whistle Wednesday night.
“Ebony’s got a little bit of an injury concern so we’re being very protective of her and the first thing she said after the game,” the coach relayed, “was, ‘Can I start on Saturday?’”
Wednesday’s gritty defensive performance — and conversations like that — show that Racing Louisville isn’t close to its potential.
