Sentnor, Shotstoppers and A Second Impression: 3 Storylines To Watch When URFC Host North Carolina
Welcome to Storylines.
If anyone understood the enormity of last Saturday’s match against the Chicago Red Stars, it was Head Coach Amy Rodriguez.
The former Utah Royals FC Captain has helped usher in the “Return of Royalty” for the better part of the last year. As a coach, she returned to the state that as a player, she watched lose its team in 2020.
When the moment between “Return” and “Returned” was finally met as the center official blew their whistle at 5:30 p.m. Mountain Time last Saturday, she made sure her players understood the significance too.
“I had so much fun tonight,” Rodriguez said postgame.
“I know my team didn't get the result I wanted but I was super-proud of them for having played for the city, knowing what this community is like and how much they support us."
“I was just so excited for my players to feel that. I told them before they went out, go win the hearts of 20,000 people in that stand, and in those stands. And I think they did that tonight”
It was a picture-perfect night in so many ways, with a reality-bitten ending. The player still embedded deep into Rodriguez knew that the Royals’ debut game was there to be won when the final whistle blew, just as the coach knew there was so much to learn from the 2-0 defeat.
Either way, in front of 20,000 fans on a beautiful early spring evening, professional women’s sports in Utah was reborn with a mix of ferocity and hope that perfectly embodies their head coach, as well as the Club’s supporters filling the stands.
A greatly anticipated return years in the making is over, and the next game is merely days away.
Long may that continue.
With the introduction for the Royals inaugural season having finally been made, it’s time to look forward to the heart of the Royals’ 2024 NWSL season.
Let’s write that story.
Storylines:
- A deeper dive into the offensive numbers show us just how effective URFC’s attack was at everything but that final finish. Here’s the story those numbers tell, and how a rookie stole the show in her NWSL debut.
- Calling the Royals defense unlucky to concede two goals may be harsh on Chicago, but there were plenty of positives to take away from the backline's performance last Saturday. With goalkeeper Mandy Haught returning from suspension, and lessons to be learned from the opening match, how can URFC’s defenders become a bedrock for the Club’s success this year?
- The North Carolina Courage put on a dominating display in week one against Houston. What did the Courage do well, and how can the Royals counter North Carolina’s strengths on Friday?
Where To Watch:
You can catch URFC vs NCC on NWSL+ right here, or join in on the legendary America First Field atmosphere by getting your tickets today, here.
Kick off is at 7:30 p.m. MT on Friday, March 22.
The Deep Dive:
- A deeper dive into the offensive numbers shows us just how effective URFC’s attack was at everything but the final finish. Here’s the story that those numbers told, and how a rookie stole the show in her NWSL debut.
As disappointing as the final scoreline was last Saturday, there were plenty of positives to takeaway from a team which played its first-ever competitive match together.
One of the biggest takeaways is that the Royals finished third across the league in xG (2.1) during NWSL Matchday One, according to Fbref. Expected goals or xG is an advanced stat that is used to analyze the probability of a shot becoming a goal. If you’re not familiar, Fbref has a great explainer here. The Royals finishing with a 2.1 xG against Chicago means that on average, a team with the quality of shots that the Royals took on Saturday would’ve finished the game with around two goals.
With the exception of Utah, every team in the NWSL during week one that finished with an xG higher than 2.0 won. While it was certainly frustrating for Royals supporters, staff, players and coaches alike, what this tells us is that URFC did an excellent job of getting into scoring positions. Now the key going forward is finishing those chances.
Some other stats of note include:
- URFC had the youngest starting XI in the league matchday one (25.2)
- URFC had the highest rate of possession (67.0)
- URFC had five shots on target, with all five saved by Alyssa Naeher - the USWNT’s No. 1 ‘keeper
Speaking of having the youngest starting XI, the youngest player on the URFC roster - rookie and No. 1 overall pick Ally Sentnor - had a very promising NWSL debut Saturday. Sentnor was quite the livewire on the wing and showed off why she was the top overall pick in January’s 2024 NWSL Draft. The former UNC Tar Heel finished the day with the most progressive passes received (6) in the game on Saturday and was often a focal point in URFC’s attacking movements. At 20 years old, the young forward often looked like the best player on the pitch. It meant all the more that the pitch in question was surrounded by the biggest crowd for a women’s sporting event in Utah history.
“I mean, this was definitely the biggest crowd I've ever played in front of, so that was pretty awesome,” Sentnor said. “The fans here are just so amazing and I'm just so grateful to be in this state where they really support us and are just even, even after the loss, you could hear them.”
When it comes to possession, Rodriguez made it a point in preseason that she wanted her team to control the tempo of the game and retain the ball. In that case, the first game out was a success, even more so that while having the ball for so much time, her team also created a variety of scoring chances. The problem of finishing those chances also rested between the goalposts in the form of the U.S. Women’s National Team’s #1 goalkeeper, Alyssa Naeher. Naeher won save of the week, and was outstanding between the sticks for the Red Stars. A large part of the Royals finishing with 0 goals on 2.1 xG was because of Naeher’s performance.
- Calling the Royals defense unlucky to concede two goals may be harsh on Chicago, but there were plenty of positives to take away from the backline's performance last Saturday. With goalkeeper Mandy Haught returning from suspension, and lessons to be learned from the opening match, how can URFC’s defenders become a bedrock for the Club’s success this year?
All in all, Utah’s defense battled admirably against Chicago.
The first backline of the Rodriguez era only conceded 1.0 xG and held Chicago’s best player - the dynamic Mallory Swanson - to 0.1 xG. Carly Nelson played well in goal while Mandy Haught sat out due to suspension. Kate Del Fava and Kaleigh Riehl had the most pass attempts and carries in the team, and were a massive part of the buildup in the back. Meanwhile Madison Pogarch formed a great partnership with Ally Sentnor down one flank while former Gotham teammates Imani Dorsey and Paige Monaghan combined down the other.
Both Chicago goals came from defensive miscues of players not clearing their lines in time, and the Red Stars made the Royals pay dearly for them (Along with VAR, which missed overturning the offside action that should have nullified the game-changing Chicago opener).
“I think it's a good start,” Nelson said. “I think with a new team and a new atmosphere, I think those mistakes came from ourselves, and I think those could be really good building blocks and learning lessons for us through the season.”
One of the biggest lessons for the Royals will be that when it controls possession for so long, it will be important for the team’s “rest defense” to stay alert and switched on when possession changes. Chicago was happy to let Utah control possession and then strike quickly on the counter, which is exactly what the Red Stars did on the game’s second goal.
If the Royals defense can learn its lesson, and build upon a promising first 90-minute performance, this group should be a rock for the rest of the squad to lean on throughout the season.
3, The North Carolina Courage put on a dominating display in week one against Houston. What did the Courage do well, and how can the Royals counter North Carolina’s strengths on Friday?
We’ve talked a lot about xG and it would be negligent to not mention how North Carolina put up the highest number in week one with 3.4 xG in its 5-1 win over Houston last weekend.
When breaking down North Carolina’s goals outside of the first-half penalty awarded, the Courage broke the Dash down in a variety of ways.
For the second goal, the Courage won back possession in Houston’s half and moved the ball quickly down field to score. The third goal came from a cross into the box, the fourth was born out of a dangerous throughball that was eventually capitalized by a shot from outside the box and the fifth a classic kick-and-rush from the goalkeeper that finished in the back of the net.
The Courage made the most interceptions in the league on Matchday One (16) and finished with the second highest number of crosses as well (22). If the Royals want to dominate possession, they will have to be careful with the ball, and not allow the Courage to spring counters when possession is lost. Additionally, if North Carolina plan to launch as many crosses into the box as it did last week, it will be even more important for Utah to clears its lines and not allow for any second balls to fall kindly to Courage attackers.
A big challenge awaits the Royals at America First Field on Friday and you won’t want to miss it.
