Taylor Flint
NWSL LCC - Jordan Prather

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) - Racing Louisville FC head coach Bev Yanez huddled her team after another draw. She dropped the same expletive a few times while staying positive. And her message was intensely clear: Don't get too wrapped up in the scoreboard.

That is tough to do for Louisville right now, as a scoreless draw vs. San Diego Wave FC on Saturday night means Racing has started a season with high expectations with four consecutive draws. Wins will get Louisville into the NWSL playoffs for the first time, not draws.

But not every draw feels the same.

"I thought that was the best performance we had in all four games," Racing Louisville FC midfielder Taylor Flint said.Ā 

"I think the positive part and the exciting part is you can see the growth," Racing Louisville FC captain Jaelin Howell said. "San Diego is a very good team. That's a team that made it very far in the playoffs. And I thought we did very well. And especially the second half, I thought we dominated the game."

The eye test supports that. And so do the numbers. Louisville applied as much consistent pressure on an opponent as it has all season in the second half vs. the team that had the most points in the NWSL last season.Ā 

Racing did not win the possession battle, yet finished with a higher expected goal figure: 1.19 to San Diego's 0.90. Louisville had two fewer shots (14 to 12), but more on target (4 to 2). And the home side finished with more touches in the opponent's box (24 to 22).Ā 

"I thought we had a fantastic response coming out in the second half," Racing Louisville FC head coach Bev Yanez said. "A lot of people will look at the score line and say another tie. We're still undefeated in this league, and we're showing the progress of our group."

"I thought we were attacking," Howell said. "And I think that's kind of the shift in mentality you saw this group have. And I think that's very exciting. That's why I'm super proud of the girls. I think you saw the fight, the will, the want to finish a game out. We weren't on our back foot. We were on our front foot trying to finish the game."

Louisville's best opportunity looked like it would be the only goal of the whole match. Flint headed in a goal against her former team in the 71st minute off of a corner kick, but it was waved off for an offsides call.

"I'm always going to feel like I'm robbed from that goal," Flint said with a laugh. "But I saw the foul. It's okay. In my heart, it's a goal."

Racing kept its foot on the gas pedal though. Ary Borges, who made her season debut as a substitute in the 79th minute, had a header of her own that looked primed for the back of the net. But San Diego goal keeper Kailen Sheridan made an outstanding save to keep it scoreless.

"The energy was there," Yanez said. "You saw the group has full belief. We went after it."

Two physical presences in the midfield were the catalyst of the collective aggression. Flint and Howell won four tackles each while also creating two chances each. Their work rate was felt all over the field, combining for 22 recoveries.

Jaelin Howell

"I love playing with Taylor," Howell said. "I think that she's a phenomenal player and phenomenal person. We're getting closer on and off the pitch. I think our relationship, you can see that it's continuing to grow."

"We're learning each other," Flint, who played with Howell growing up as they worked up through the United States Women's National Team, said. "We kind of play very similar. But it's been great. We really respect each other and we just kind of have this look like, 'If I'm going, you stay,' and if she's going, I stay. It's a good partnership."

"The understanding of each other, who's filling what pockets at what time, who's more of that securing six in the moment versus who's getting involved in the attack, I think the relationship will continue to build," Yanez said.

The first-year head coach is trying to ensure her whole group does the same. There was no sense of too much frustration or a loss of composure after a win was so close yet again. And she wants to keep it that way so her team can break through at the right time.

"It's all about going in the right direction," Yanez said. "We are still undefeated in the NWSL. We are still showing teams in this league what we believe we're capable of. And for me, it's only a matter of time before things continue to click in the right direction and we're able to walk away with those three points."

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