A Fresh Start
After a tough July, Racing is getting August off to a great start with a 3-1 win over Kansas City NWSL on Sunday afternoon. This marked the club’s first win since June 26th.
After an excellent team build-up, Ebony Salmon opened the scoring in the 43′ off a cross from Savannah McCaskill. Kansas City answered late in stoppage time to send the teams off with a tie at the half. Racing would remain undaunted in the second half, however. In the 55′ Nadia Nadim headed in another perfectly timed cross from McCaskill, putting Louisville on top once again. In the 86′, Cheyna Matthews stole the ball at the top of the box, juked the opposing keeper, and walked the ball into the goal to put the game away for good.
“I think the biggest thing that stands out to me is going into the second half, there’s an opportunity for us to feel sorry for ourselves and fold,” said head coach Christy Holly after the match. “We just lost Gemma (Bonner) with stitches, we conceded a goal with the last kick of the first half, and for them to take it on board and respond the way they did is a testament to every single one in that locker room.”
In their last two matches, Racing has arguably controlled the tempo, held possession, and had plenty of good looks on goal. The only issue was actually scoring. These goals for Nadim and Matthews were their first in lavender. If they continue to produce along with Salmon and McCaskill, this could mean the final piece Racing has been searching for might be falling into place.
📼 Vintage ‘Ville 📼#LOUvKC | @Nationwide pic.twitter.com/bWRpyPGEEf
— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) August 8, 2021
By The Numbers
A win is always pleasing, but Coach Holly contends that this wasn’t the team’s best performance, although their improved execution in the final third allowed them to earn this win. Racing’s stats demonstrate this to some extent.
Racing’s number of shots and shots on goal stayed fairly stable this…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Kansas City NWSL – Beautiful Game Network…