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USWNT U23 forward Ekic gets psychological push from Racing Louisville staff ahead of pivotal 2021
After the coronavirus prevented her from suiting up for her country last year, she's out to make great strides as an NWSL rookie
Emina Ekic was robbed of a run with the USWNT Under-23s in 2020 because of the Covid-19 pandemic, so her rookie season with Racing Louisville will be a particularly important showcase for her long-term national team prospects.
The 21-year-old scored her first preseason goal for Racing in a 4-0 win over West Virginia this past weekend, finishing across the goalkeeper after fellow first-round pick Emily Fox found her in space. She said her chemistry with veteran team-mates vital to her development has improved in recent weeks, even as she's been asked to take on several different attacking positions and coached intensely.
Ekic, selected fifth-overall in this year's NWSL draft, played with the U23 team at the Thorns Springs Invitational in 2019 and is excited to join the pro ranks where she can accelerate her growth after losing valuable high-level game time last year.
What has been said?
"I'm being coached [hard] and being really open to criticism," Ekic told reporters. "Obviously I have a lot of the older players playing around me on the forward line. Talking to me, coaching me as the weeks have gone by. And I think our chemistry has gotten better, so the interchange, when to pull wide and just understanding each other."
Head coach Christy Holly added: "We're asking a lot of our attacking players both physically and psychologically, to move through different positions."
Where did Ekic come from?
The forward is a local star who grew up in Louisville and attended the University of Louisville, where she earned ACC Offensive Player of the Year honors.
She will be expected to become a focal point for Racing's attack as Fox heads the back-line in the coming years.
