Last week, Racing ended a congested streak of five games in 15 days that included winning their first trophy. Then, on Tuesday, it was announced that head coach Christy Holly had been fired for cause.
That’s a lot of drama for any team to manage – especially a team in their first year – but Racing came out the other side looking invigorated. On Saturday night, they tied the visiting OL Reign, who had been on a three-game winning streak. All in all, this was a team that seemed ready for a fresh start and looked eager to move on.
Racing started the match aggressively with an early shot from Emily Fox forcing Reign’s keeper to make a close save. In the 23′, Cece Kizer sent a good ball forward to connect with Nadia Nadim who fought past defenders to score. Despite a barrage of attacks from the Reign, Racing defended well and the results remained level until deep in the second half. In the 74′ a header from Bethany Balcer off a cross from Sophia Huerta brought the score level.
In the post-match huddle, captain Michelle Betos told her teammates she saw a fire in them that had recently gone missing.
“When’s the last time we’ve been this proud of everyone on the field? When’s the last time we felt everyone left it on the field like this – every single person?” she asked pointing to the assembled teammates and staff. “When’s the last time? It’s been a while.”
Some postgame inspo ft. Mario Sanchez and @MichelleBetos. 🎥 pic.twitter.com/MWskW7G5dz
— Racing Louisville FC (@RacingLouFC) September 5, 2021
In his first few days as head coach, interim head coach Mario Sanchez has made a few changes from his predecessor. In particular, he returned to the high press favored by the club. He also put out a lineup that Racing hadn’t seen before. Most notably, Jorian Baucom got her second start of the season and Emily Fox was moved to right back. Baucom’s strong, direct style of play worked well and it’s a likely bet she’ll get some…
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