San Diego, California
– San Diego Wave FC and Racing Louisville FC dueled to a highly entertaining scoreless draw in the lone game of Friday night’s action across the league, with the two sides combining for nearly 40 shots and the goalkeepers producing 15 saves despite not being able to produce a goal.
San Diego, California
– San Diego Wave FC and Racing Louisville FC dueled to a highly entertaining scoreless draw in the lone game of Friday night’s action across the league, with the two sides combining for nearly 40 shots and the goalkeepers producing 15 saves despite not being able to produce a goal. San Diego’s best early look came via an 11 th minute shot by midfielder Marleen Schimmer, after her run off the left saw her cut inside and open a bit of space just outside the penalty area. Firing from 19 yards out, her low drive was easily held by Louisville goalkeeper Katie Lund as the chance went missing. Three minutes later, Louisville midfielder Alex Chidiac then threatened the San Diego goal with a chance just inside the box, but her effort was repelled out for a corner that resulted in nothing. In the 20 th minute, Louisville midfielder Savannah DeMelo then struck further fear in the hearts of the San Diego defense standing over a free kick from 25 yards out. Having already demonstrated her ability on set-pieces thus far this season, DeMelo approached the ball and confidently whipped in a free kick effort from right to left that landed just a few feet high of goal. A minute later, the visitors continued to pile on their pressure on the San Diego goal as forward Kirsten Davis was denied from close range as the score somehow remained level. San Diego did have their own double chance though, nearly taking advantage of a Louisville turnover in their own defensive third in the 26 th minute. Winning the ball back, San Diego’s Kelsey Turnbow pressed forward and into the box where she beat a right-footed effort at Lund from close range that the goalkeeper was able to get away. Then, on the ensuing move, Katlyn Johnson saw her headed effort saved by Lund, though replays would reveal a handball on the effort instead. The visitors’ highest quality opportunity would come in the 28 th minute, though, with the forward Davis streaking ahead in on goal. Immediately following the San Diego chances, Louisville was able to build up play quickly and spring Davis in behind the Wave defense. However, though Davis was able to beat the defense and the goalkeeper Carly Telford to the ball, she was unable to keep the effort on target as it landed wide of goal. Neither side was lacking for opportunity in front of goal throughout the entirety of the first half, really, yet neither side was also able to break the deadlock after 45 minutes of action. The two sides combined for 19 total shots and 7 on target in the first half, easily eclipsing their shot totals from the previous regular season meeting between the two sides in mid-May. Early in the second half, the hosts San Diego looked the more likely to score, in part thanks to a couple of close efforts just minutes after the restart. The biggest of those came in the 50 th minute, when defender Emily van Egmond had a right footed shot from just inside the box saved by Lund with the rebounded effort by the Wave’s Makenzy Doniak then blocked as all somehow remained scoreless. Then, just after the hour mark, Racing Louisville had a great look in front of goal as Alex Chidiac’s left-footed shot just inside the box was blocked which led to the ball falling at the feet of forward Jess McDonald. Though a few yards out from goal, McDonald’s shot did not have the power and direction required to beat Telford as the visitors kept knocking. Without doubt the best chance of the game for either side up to that point came just minutes later, when Chidiac drew a foul on van Egmond in the box which resulted in a penalty for Racing Louisville. Stepping up to the spot was the midfielder DeMelo, and though she produced a powerful penalty to the goalkeeper’s right, San Diego’s Carly Telford was well equal to the shot and beat it away into the path of Chidiac. Getting her foot over the ball but looking for goal on a tight angle, Chidiac was unable to get the effort on target as the chance went missing. In the 87 th minute, Chidiac was once again on the end of a look for Louisville with the potential to win the game late on. A ball sent into the box was poorly dealt with and ended up trickling the way of Chidiac just inside the box near the center of goal. Attempting to catch the ball well, Chidiac then lined up an effort that, had it beaten Telford, would have all but guaranteed three points for her side. Instead, the shot rolled just wide of the far post as the clock continued to inch closer to fulltime. In the end, though the two sides combined for the incredibly high attacking numbers, San Diego and Racing Louisville would have to settle for a point apiece in the scoreless draw. The result sees San Diego remain unbeaten at home thus far this campaign, while Louisville has now drawn three of their last four games.