Racing Louisville was mathematically eliminated from playoff contention with their 0-3 loss to the Washington Spirit on Saturday night.
After the match, interim coach Mario Sanchez called the match frustrating but still saw some potential. He praised Cheyna Matthews and Emina Ekic for coming off the bench and adding a spark late in the game. And, he’s happier with the number of chances created compared to other recent matches.
“As I told the team afterward, it’s a process,” Sanchez said. “We’re going to continue to learn and develop and get better and better every day and that’s never going to end.”
Although they’ve been eliminated from the playoffs, Sanchez is adamant that the process won’t change. The team wants to win every game, playoffs or not and that will be their focus until the end.
“These are great pros,” said Sanchez of the players. “They’re frustrated, they want to do well, they want to get results. They show up every day and they work hard and they’re committed to it as well, so nothing changes at all.”
Emily Fox during the match against the Spirit on October 9 / Image courtesy ISI Photos
A Solid Foundation
Despite the lopsided scoreline, Racing demonstrated their future potential in how well their rookies performed. Taylor Otto played her first 90 minutes as a professional and looked like a seasoned vet. Emina Ekic came off the bench got three of Racing’s 11 total shots in only 18 minutes in the game. And, Emily Fox demonstrated her versatility by playing just as dynamically in the midfield as she has in the back.
Of the players, Sanchez was particularly effusive in his praise of Fox: “I think she’s proven that she’s a national team player. Game and game out when you see the opponents we play with other national team players on it, I would put Fox up there with anyone.”
As for Otto, Sanchez said she’s been training hard and “absolutely earned” her minutes this match. He was pleased with her…
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