Kim Björkegren, minutes into his first meeting with local media, made a splash when saying he could “almost guarantee” Racing Louisville FC will score more goals this year under his direction than last.
What Björkegren didn’t mention with such certainty were expectations for Racing’s defense. Perhaps he just didn’t want to show all his cards.
Months later, Racing wound up signing Björkegren’s former club captain, defender Julia Lester, on a transfer from Apollon Ladies FC in Cyprus. Teammates have suggested it’s more than coincidence that the club registered back-to-back shutouts heading into the NWSL’s first international break with Lester newly in the startling lineup.
“Clean sheets are huge for us,” said fellow defender Gemma Bonner, “and I think for Julia to come in especially, and she’s not had much chance to train with the team — I think she had one or two sessions before playing a game and then straight to an away trip back to back. She deserves a huge amount of credit. She’s slotted in so well to whatever position and what she’s been asked to do, and I think she’s been brilliant. She’s only made us stronger.”
A University of Florida graduate from Tampa, Lester made her club debut March 25 — days after signing — as a sub in Racing’s 3-2 defeat to the Houston Dash. She cracked the starting 11 in both games since then as Louisville played to a scoreless draw March 30 at the Chicago Red Stars before defeating KC Current by a 3-0 score on April 2.
Lester has marked both her starts with memorable sequences, shutting down a 39th-minute chance in Chicago by going to ground in the box. She similarly slid in the 37th minute of the KC Current victory to deny a dangerous cross near the goal and successfully tackled again inside the area in the 81st minute.
“Her reading of the game is really good,” Björkegren said. “Her pace helps a lot. It’s easy for her, because we’ve worked together. I think that helps her moving to a new team.
“…She’s not maybe that typical leader that talks that much, but you can see on the pitch — I worked with her one and a half, two years — in difficult games, she helps the team. That’s another kind of leadership.”
To put Racing’s recent defensive run in perspective, during the club’s inaugural season it managed consecutive shutouts just once and hadn’t blanked an opponent since June 26.
On a rainy night in Chicago, Lester completed a team-high 60 of 64 passes — a 94% clip. She led Racing with 76 touches versus the Current, also numbering 7 clearances, one off Bonner’s game-high 8.
Lester made the Cypriot First Division’s Best XI in 2021 as Apollon Ladies FC won a league title. Also during her time in Cyprus, she gained UEFA Champions League experience, making six starts in the competition.
“She is ultra calm, which I love,” said Lauren Milliet, who quickly caught on to Lester’s ability to win possession, dribble out of the back and combine with midfielders like herself, transitioning to the attack.
“It’s different from something we’ve had in the past, which I think makes us more dynamic,” Milliet added. “But she’s so composed — so calm — which I think is important for a center back.”
Björkegren was quick to credit his entire defensive corps with the recent performances. Since giving up a trio of second half goals to Houston, the coach has also experimented with lining up multiple players in a No. 6 role within the holding midfield to aid the back line.
“The new transfer is going to help us even more,” Björkegren said as Racing awaits the arrival of Birmingham City and Northern Ireland defender Rebecca Holloway, recently signed for the 2022 campaign. “It’s going to be a long season, so we’ll need all our players. This group is amazing, and you can see we’re doing better and better.”
