LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) – Racing Louisville FC may not make the NWSL playoffs this season. A “super disappointing” 1-0 loss to Houston, in the words of head coach Kim Björkegren leaves the club still two points off the playoff line with only 3 matches to play, and a full slate of league games to come this weekend.
The game was a must win. And the thing about must-win games is that you have to win them. So while the disappointment was raw after Friday night’s loss, it was nothing compared to the tough love dished out by defensive anchor Abby Erceg after the game.
Yes, Racing is playing without midfielder and captain Jaelin Howell. Yes, its rhythm was thrown off by more World Cup selections than any other club and its depth tested by a run to the NWSL Challenge Cup Final. And then there’s the mental challenge of overcoming a disappointing loss in the final.
But none of those, in the end, will matter if the team falls short of its goal of making the postseason in its second year of existence, especially after promising back-to-back wins over Portland and Seattle to open the month.
Louisville had beaten Houston 3-0 in June and the Dash hadn’t won a regular-season match since June 3.
Erceg minced few words. Actually, she minced no words. I’m not sure how it will play in the locker room. But as a sportswriter, it plays with refreshing candor.
“I thought we were extremely poor tonight,” she said. “You know, when you're pushing for a playoff spot, and you put in a performance like that, you're just not going to make it. We played as individuals. We stopped playing as a team. There was a lack of effort. Everything that could have gone wrong went wrong for us, just in terms of how we played as a team. So, it's really disappointing. I think, throughout the season, we've had some really gritty performances, and we just didn't have any of it tonight. I don't think it's tied legs. We've had a week to recover from the Challenge Cup. And it's been business as usual, so that's not an excuse. I think, honestly, it was just on effort. And that's really disappointing for us.”
Erceg knows what she is talking about. She captained the North Carolina Courage and won four straight shields with the club, while winning NWSL defender of the year in 2018. She also has 146 national appearances for the New Zealand National team.
She knows the drill. And she knew, with certainty, that what she saw from her team Friday night wasn’t it. And she’s been around long enough to speak her mind.
“I said to the girls, ‘Man, this has to be 100 percent effort. It's up to us. Do you want to play another few games? Cool? If not, we'll see,’” Erceg said. “And I guess, you know, maybe they don't want to play those extra games. It's been a long season, but you’ve got to turn up. . . . I think for sure there is some fatigue, mentally. It's been really, really challenging, with the Challenge Cup, and to lose as well, that is also quite mentally draining to not come away with the win after all the effort that you put in. But again, it's professional sports, man. Like, it's just, you got to turn up every game. You can't just decide. 'I don't feel like it today,' especially when you're pushing. We had to win every, single game, I think, especially for this playoff push, we need all the points we can get. It's so tight. Dropping points like that -- that's a massive loss for us. Those three points were crucial, especially because we've had results against this team. It's not like we couldn't beat them. We know we're a better team, we just didn't turn up. So it's really, really disappointing.”
Björkegren tinkered with the lineup, putting midfielder Maddie Pokorny at right back for Carson Pickett and moving Nadia Nadim to a central striker position with Kirsten Davis on the outside. He said the changes were necessitated by some injuries.
Racing Louisville defender Abby Erceg minced no words after the team's loss to Houston.
The teams played a scoreless first half. Houston got the game’s lone goal from a Diana Ordóñez header in the 54th minute. Racing created plenty of chances, but couldn’t convert. It took 17 shots with 6 on target, compared with 19 shots for Houston, with 5 on frame.
Erceg said the defensive effort was a struggle, and that Pokorny, who has been an infusion of energy for the club, was put in a difficult spot.
“That's tough, isn't it?” she said. “I mean, I was coaching her through the warmup because she didn't know what she was doing. She's not a defensive player. And it's tough to put that goal on her. She just, you know, she did everything she could, and you put the Diana on her it's going to be a tough matchup. So, I feel for here a little bit, but like I said, she's stepping in to do a job that's not hers. So, you know, you can't blame her that. I think she put in a really great effort. She gave everything she could and you can't blame her for that.”
Where blame will fall could be interesting over the next three games. Racing will have a long international break to think about this one, and won’t return to action until Sept. 30 in Chicago.
“We still have three more games to go and I think it’s going to be very important for us to take one game at a time," Racing forward Thembi Kgatlana said. "We’re so close – other teams are playing over the weekend, and we can’t depend on other teams. We can depend on our own performance and that’s what we can control over the next three games."
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