HERRIMAN, Utah (Thursday, October 3, 2024) - Utah Royals FC (4-14-3, 15 pts) travel to Oregon to take on Portland Thorns FC (8-10-4, 28 pts) on Saturday, October 5th at 8:00 p.m. MT.
Utah triumphed over Racing Louisville FC 1-0 at home in front of 9,002 fans ending a three match losing skid. The win came courtesy of the NWSL Goal of the Week scored by midfielder Ana Tejeda in the 78th minute, sniping the ball right past the 6’1” Racing keeper into the bottom right corner from 28 yards out. Tejada’s goal marked her second of the season, while midfield partner and Spanish compatriot Claudia Zornoza notched her second assist of the year. The Spanish duo has been a crucial piece for Utah in the second half of the season, pairing at the base of the midfield in every match since August 23rd with the exception of the match against Gotham FC on September 22 due to Tejada’s yellow card suspension.
The Royals’ last meeting with Portland came in the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup in July at home ending 3-1 with three different goal scorers: Hannah Betfort, Ally Sentnor, and Michele Vasconcelos. The 3-1 victory contrasts sharply with the previous meeting between the two sides which ended in a 0-0 draw, despite the Royals finishing with a 1.8 xG. Both teams will be looking to get on the board first, as both squads have a favorable record when scoring first. Utah Royals FC are (5-0-1) while Portland Thorns FC is (8-1-0) when scoring first. Neither team has been able to win a match when conceding first.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
WATCH LIVE on ION with Maura Sheridan and Jordan Angeli :: Utah Royals FC vs Portland Thorns | Providence Park | 8:00 p.m. MT
OR
LISTEN via KSL Sports Radio (102.7 FM / 1160 AM) starting at 7:30 p.m. MT
The Portland Thorns come into this match winless in six straight regular season games, the most recent league victory coming on July 5 when Portland beat San Diego Wave 1-0 at Providence Park. The Thorns have been heavily reliant on USWNT forward and global superstar Sophia Smith who has a team leading 11 goals, 7 more than second most on her team. Newly named permanent Head Coach Rob Gale has yet to record a regular season victory since removing the interim tag and his side currently sits only three points above the playoff line. Portland will look to take momentum from a 2-1 win over Santa Fe FC in the CONCACAF W Champions Cup on Tuesday into the match against Utah.
After Saturday’s match, the Royals return home on October 13 to host Seattle Reign FC. Kickoff is set for 3:00 p.m. MT. Tickets can be found at https://www.rsl.com/utahroyals/tickets/single.
