Staying in the Fight
After a crushing loss to the Dash on Friday, Racing Louisville came back strong on Wednesday to draw the Chicago Red Stars 0-0. Both teams were coming off their first losses of the season and both were hungry for a win. Despite the lack of goals, this exciting back-and-forth match was one of Racing’s most consistent showings yet. This draw also marks the first clean sheet ever for goalkeeper Katie Lund and the first clean sheet for the team since June 2021.
Signs of improvement were everywhere for Racing, including a continuously improved attack, better movement while in formation, and more aggressive play overall. Most promisingly, there was no sign of a hangover from Friday’s loss. Even when they were not fully in control of the game, Racing played harder and less hesitantly than they have all season. Fatigue seemed to affect them in the second half, but they never became complacent as they have previously.
After the match, Coach Kim Björkegren praised the team for their sustained fighting spirit.
“I’m proud of them that they keep working hard together,” said the coach. “The one point here is not that bad.”
Striker Ebony Salmon agreed and said this match showed the team’s resiliency.
“We’re disappointed that we didn’t get the win,” she said, “but obviously we were even more disappointed last Friday, going up against Houston and losing the game 3-2. So I think tonight just to keep fighting as a team for 90 minutes and to get the point is good for us.”
Salmon is right in that this is a good next step for Racing. While three points would have been ideal, earning a hard-fought draw with signs of continued progress everywhere is still a very solid result. Let’s take a look at the match, some of the key stats from the game, and some key takeaways to explore what this match showed us about Racing moving forward.
Match Recap
Racing started the match on the attack. Both Addisyn Merrick and Ebony Salmon had…
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