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.
Racing Louisville FC can celebrate finishing the toughest stretch of matches in its young history.
For a team whose roster is still growing, three fixtures in six days is a daunting task requiring player rotation, tired legs and little time off. The first two matches brought mixed results with a 1-0 victory over the Houston Dash before a 2-0 defeat to NC Courage, both at home. Sent on the road Saturday against the Chicago Red Stars, Racing constructed its strongest performance yet to win 3-0.
The young club’s highest margin of victory left plenty of positives to discuss.
Complete defense
Scoring goals is exciting. They are, of course, what make highlight videos and grab engagement across social media. Good defending is just as important, and that’s what Louisville did in a clean sheet victory.
Racing’s back four had a complete performance starting with a rough landing in the opening minute. Center back Gemma Bonner jumped for a ball and came down awkwardly on her side. It took her a minute to get back up, but play didn’t stop. Chicago attacked until fullback Erin Simon slid in to cover the area and clear away the danger. It was one of 38 clearances for Racing.
The match was full of small moments like that: Louisville filling in space and not breaking to Chicago’s offense. The Red Stars’ front three of Mallory Pugh, Kealia Watt and Rachel Hill combined to try just two shots that made it past a Racing defender.
Fullback Emily Fox kept Hill quiet all match. On the other side of the field, Simon’s task of neutralizing Pugh appeared difficult. But on Saturday, Pugh lacked danger in the final third that Chicago supporters have come to rely on in 2021 — mostly due to Simon not giving her the space to work.
Another example of a small moment paying big dividends came in the second half. Chicago’s Watt found time and space in the Red Stars’ offensive penalty area. As Watt waited for a teammate, looking for the best passing option, Fox ran in from behind and poached the ball before she made a move. Little things like that added up all match for Racing.
The center back partnership of Bonner and Martin made goalkeeper Michelle Betos’ day easier. Martin cleared four, blocked a shot and had one tackle. Bonner tallied 11 clearances, three blocks and two tackles. While Betos had a slightly quieter day, registering only three saves compared to her average of almost seven per match coming into Saturday, she got into the fun in a big way. A 31st-minute leaping save off a Vanessa DiBernardo shot could keep her in the Save of the Week conversation.
Adapting to the conditions
Saturday’s match was near swamp-like. Kickoff was delayed almost two and a half hours, and during that time sustained downpours made keeping the pitch in good shape nearly impossible. Prior to kickoff, Louisville coach Christy Holly and Chicago’s head coach Rory Dames tested the field. Holly rolled a ball that came to a quick stop, and Dames even dribbled through the midfield to give the Red Stars insight on how it the surface was reacting.
Different areas of the pitch had different levels of saturation, but the midfield took the worst of it. Throughout the match, players stopping or turning in that space caused visible splashes. Passes came to grinding halts if not given more power than usual. It was those conditions where Racing defensive midfielder Freja Olofsson shined. The NWSL newcomer from Sweden didn’t get on the box score, but her play allowed Racing to keep possession and move the ball downfield.
Olofsson spent her time in the defensive midfield with 41 successful passes. What sticks out the most is how accurate Olofsson was able to be in the conditions. In a full 90 minutes, she completed 92% of her passes, the highest of anyone on the field with at least double-digit passing statistics. It meant that once Chicago lost possession on offense, the Red Stars had to work to get it back.
Finishing chances
The story line of forward Yuki Nagasato and midfielder Savannah McCaskill returning to Chicago wasn’t lost on anyone Saturday. During team introductions, both received a warm welcome, and Nagasato and McCaskill both spent time post-match talking with their former teammates on the field. Between those two bookend moments, they made life tough on their former club.
McCaskill, per the usual, was all over the midfield on Saturday. The vice captain made momentum-halting tackles, was the cog that kept the Racing offense moving and even tried a chip shot at midfield off a slip by goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher. It’s easy to say that McCaskill played that way because she was facing her former team, but that’s what she does each time out.
Something new for both in a lavender kit were the goals. It looked like a gift-wrapped opportunity when the ball landed at Nagasato’s feet of a free kick deflection, but Nagasato didn’t have a lot of time. Once the ball got to her feet, she didn’t overthink it or rush it. She hit a shot perfectly, deflecting in off a diving Chicago defense.
For McCaskill, she had the awareness to track the movement of a deflected cross that flew over Naeher, something that no Chicago defender tried to stop. Even up two goals, McCaskill didn’t relent.
They both had the awareness to finish chances that came their way, but more importantly find those positions to allow them to score with quick decision making. When asked about any motivation from past time with Chicago, McCaskill brought it back to Louisville.
“I loved Chicago, I loved my time here. I obviously still have friends on this team,” she said. The focus quickly changed. “I think we’re really building something special in Louisville. This group of players really has something to prove and I think we’re showing that week in and week out.”
