SANDY, Utah (Saturday, June 29, 2024) Utah Royals FC (2-11-2, 8 pts, 14th NWSL) earned a hard-fought point at home, and only its second draw in the Club’s maiden NWSL season, in a difficult but promising goalless draw against the Portland Thorns (7-5-3, 24pts, 5th NWSL) at America First Field on Saturday, June 29, 2024.
In a game URFC mostly dominated, the team delivered an organized, mature, and defensively solid performance to earn a richly deserved third clean sheet of the 2024 campaign. Nigerian international, Ify Onumonu also made an encouraging long-awaited return from injury, coming on in the 66th minute in place of Paige Monaghan.
Story of the Game
The Royals started the game as the better team and generated its first clear-cut opportunity as early as the seventh minute. A turnover in midfield allowed Madison Pogarch to drive up the pitch before playing a pass centrally to Hannah Betfort who took a touch for control before playing a through ball toward the right and into the path of Brecken Mozingo, unmarked and inside the penalty box, but Mozingo’s subsequent curled left-footed effort whistled agonizing over the bar.
URFC generated another chance barely three minutes later when Dana Foederer capitalized on a loose ball high up the field and unleashed a fierce low strike from range that beat Shelby Hogan before rattling the bottom of the post and bouncing away.
Forward Ally Sentnor, playing the number 10 role, also delivered another electric, promising performance echoing her reputation as one of the most talented young players in the country. URFC’s number 9 had a chance for herself in the 15th minute to put the hosts in front. Finding space with the ball on the left side of the penalty box, Sentnor took a few touches to create space for a shot before arrowing a low strike toward the goal from a difficult angle, but her effort was saved by Hogan.
The Royals continued to dominate most of the proceedings and created another glorious chance to go ahead just 10 minutes before halftime. In the 35th minute, a long ball from Mandy Haught was headed on by Mozingo and into the path of Betfort who outmuscled a defender before cutting inside and unleashing a dangerous low right-footed strike which was just narrowly tipped away again by Hogan.
Throughout a promising Royals first half, URFC boasted a higher percentage of possession with 52 percent, including a total of 12 shots and seven coming on target, with the team’s organized, resolute defense also relegating the visitors to merely four shots in total and just one on target throughout the first 45 minutes.
URFC continued its game-state dominance into the second half and continued crafting out clear opportunities in pursuit of a go-ahead goal. In the 62nd minute, Ana Tejada picked out Monaghan on the left wing who drove into the box before whipping the ball across the face of goal towards Betfort who in turn met the pass with a header that just flew wide off the goal. It was another missed chance, but at this point, the Royals were well on top and strutting their stuff on the field.
The Thorns started to gain more momentum in the game towards the midway point of the second half, also creating a few good chances against the run of play but ultimately came up short against an inspired, impenetrable Royals defense.
The hosts created yet another clear opportunity in the 79th minute through a fine attacking sequence. Mozingo received the ball on the right wing before dribbling inside and playing a central pass to Sentnor who in turn played in Onumonu, running in from the left, for a glorious chance, but her curled right-footed effort just flew over the bar.
URFC’s best chance of the game came in the 88th minute from a beautifully worked counter-attacking move. After successfully defending against a corner, the team launched a quick counter-attack, Ally Sentnor assumed possession of the ball in midfield and played a through ball to release Mozingo in behind, putting her in a 2v1 situation alongside Onumonu and up against a single defender. Timing her pass perfectly, Mozingo in turn played in Onumonu for a 1v1 chance with only Hogan to beat in goal, but her subsequent low effort was somehow saved by Hogan, denying the Royals the ecstasy of a late winner in the tie.
Despite then facing relentless pressure from the hosts in the after stages of the match, URFC put up a strong defensive response to share the spoils in the contest and earn a much-needed point at home.
The draw puts the 2024 Utah Royals season record at 2-11-2. URFC next returns to action on the road against Seattle Reign on Sunday, July 7, at Lumen Field with kickoff at 4:00 PM MT.
UTA 0 : 0 POR
LINEUPS:
Utah Royals FC (4-3-3): Mandy Haught; Madison Pogarch (Lauren Flynn, 66), Ana Tejada, Kate Del Fava, Zoe Burns; Dana Foederer, Agnes Nyberg, Ally Sentnor; Paige Monaghan © (Ifeoma Onumonu, 66), Hannah Betfort, Brecken Mozingo
Subs not used: Addisyn Merrick, Kaleigh Riehl, Cameron Tucker, Emily Gray, Cristina Roque
Portland Thorns FC: Shelby Hogan; Becky Sauerbrunn ©, Kelli Hubly, Reyna Reyes, Nicole Payne (Marie Muller, 61), Sam Coffey (Olivia Wade-Katoa, 75), Hina Sugita, Jessie Fleming, Payton Linnehan (Janine Beckie, 61), Ana Dias (Christine Sinclair, 75), Sophia Smith
Subs not used: Emily Alvarado, Isa Obaze, Izzy D’Aquila, Meghan Klingenberg, Marissa Sheva
Stats Summary: UTA / ORL
Possession: 46 / 54
Shots: 25 / 16
Shots on Goal: 15 / 12
Saves: 4 / 6
Corner Kicks: 5 / 9
Fouls: 11 / 9
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY:
UTA: Kate Del Fava (Yellow Card, 44), 11 total fouls
POR: Kelli Hubly (Yellow Card, 90), 9 total fouls
