This is not to say Chicago was perfect here, with the Wave producing seven shots from central positions inside the box after Stevens’ goal. 9 during their 3-4-2-1 days was understandable on some level, but this is where she belongs), pairs the sense of progress with a tangible result. 10 spot she belongs in (the Red Stars using her as a false No. National Women’s Soccer League July 2, 2023Ī shutout win over the Wave, with Ella Stevens getting more minutes in the No. The big challenge for the Red Stars was to take the positives forward and build, rather than let the couple of mistakes that cost them the game dominate their mindset. Last week, we spent a big chunk of this column talking about the (mostly) very good things Chicago did in a loss to NJ/NY Gotham FC. Those lost points are the difference between sitting in fifth place or being where they are, having to make up four points in eight games to get into the playoffs for the first time. That said, this is the third time Racing has conceded a goal after the 85th minute this season, and each of those goals has robbed them of a win. Performance-wise, this is definitely something to build on for Louisville, who deserved more than they got on the day. National Women’s Soccer League July 1, 2023 Like we said, it was weird:Įlyse Bennett flicks it on – backwards – and we're all tied up! /sF02EUj3Ms This being the NWSL, this game got strange after halftime: Phallon Tullis-Joyce’s error gave Racing a 2-0 lead, only for the Reign (who created just 0.64 expected goals on the day) to salvage a draw anyway. Any team in the NWSL would be delighted with that outcome at Lumen Field, and Louisville earned it by taking care of the ball and working hard to make sure their defensive shape had no gaps. Wang Shuang’s penalty kick put the visitors ahead, and the Reign went into halftime with two total shot attempts. Jordan Baggett and Kayla Fischer came into the team, and while they did retain some elements of their full-strength approach (a shift into 4-4-2 to high-press the Reign, most notably), Racing’s adjustments were tailored to the players available. Rather than plug players into the spots DeMelo and Borges left open, Louisville moved into a 4-3-3, with Jaelin Howell alone at the base of the midfield. They’re arguably the deepest team in the league, they’ve been dealing without star players like Rose Lavelle and Megan Rapinoe for chunks of this season, and they’re less dependent on one player to provide so much of their offense than Racing is with DeMelo. Sure, the Reign have more players away for the World Cup, but for so many reasons, they’re more prepared for this kind of situation than just about anyone. Racing’s trip west always looked like it would be a huge test for a team that has leaned so heavily on Savannah DeMelo and Ary Borges this season. Of course the NWSL had a weekend where the teams that can’t win all rise up to beat the teams that can’t lose. We talk all the time about NWSL parity, but this was parity to the point of parody. The Chicago Red Stars got a shutout! Up is down, left is right. The Kansas City Current and Orlando Pride got road wins against the Portland Thorns and Washington Spirit (arguably the two most consistently good teams in the NWSL in 2023). The teams entering the weekend sitting seventh or worse went 3W-2D-1L against the top six. The “we are SO back!” vibes are off the charts. Wrote last week that it was now or never already for the bottom 6, and they appear to have chosen "now" This past weekend’s schedule paired the teams in playoff places with teams on the outside, and could have more or less sealed a haves and have-nots stretch run (give or take the Houston Dash clinging to the contending pack). Last week, the major through-line for this column was that the league’s six playoff teams were already threatening to separate themselves. All rights reserved.The National Women’s Soccer League is not a normal league. Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and Safety Information / Your California Privacy Rights are applicable to you. ^ Back to Top ^ © 2023 ESPN Internet Ventures.
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