Utah Royals FC 2, N.C. Courage 2
April 21, 2018; Cary, Utah; Sahlen’s Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park
Utah Royals FC (0-1-3, 3 points); N.C. Courage (4-0-1, 13 points)
Woman of the Match:
URFC FW
Brittany Ratcliffe
scored her second career goal in the NWSL to help her team take the lead against the undefeated N.C. Courage. Aside from her highlight-reel worthy goal – which was nominated as the NWSL week 4 “Goal of the Week” – Ratcliffe played well, initiating the high-pressure press for the attacking line. Her immense energy and stamina on the pitch was the spark URFC needed to make their comeback.
Telling Stat:
While possession on the field was near even (52% in favor of Utah, and 48% for N.C.), the telling statistic from this match includes far more than who held the ball the most. Said to have one of the best defenses in the NWSL, Utah Royals FC held N.C. to the fewest shots they’ve had this season (11). To give you an idea of how drastic this shot total is, the Courage found 22 shots just three days prior against the Seattle Reign. As the game progressed, North Carolina was forced to shoot outside of the box, allowing for URFC to regain possession in almost every transition.
Another telling statistic includes Utah Royals FC’s own shooting total, with four out of the four total shots on target. Included in those shots were the two second-half goals, giving URFC a 50% shot accuracy – a drastic improvement from the home opener a week earlier.
What You Missed:
Not only did you miss the second and third goal in club history, but URFC showed strength & spirit when fighting from behind. It was exciting for fans to see a team grit through a physical second-half, and find the come-back shots to take the lead. URFC is still a young club, but the women played for each other as if they had been teammates for years. The fire and drive witnessed towards the end of this thrilling game is a sign of good things to come for Laura Harvey’s bunch.
So What:
The team now returns home to the fortress of Rio Tinto Stadium for their Saturday, April 28, match against the 2017 NWSL Cup champs, the Portland Thorns. Riding the determination inspired at North Carolina, URFC will kick off against USWNT players like Tobin Heath, and Emily Sonnet, at 7:00 p.m. MT. You can catch this highly-anticipated match on KMYU, the KSL app, or listen to it on ESPN700.
