Utah Royals FC vs. Seattle Reign FC
July 11, 2018; Memorial Stadium
8:30 p.m. MT; KMYU, KSL TV app, ESPN700 AM
UTA (5-4-6, 21 points); SEA (7-3-5, 26 points)
Player to Watch:
Of the 18 goals Seattle has scored this season, ten have included USWNT midfielder Megan Rapinoe – registering six goals and four assists in the league so far. The entire Reign attack goes through Rapinoe, who leads her team in goals, assist, shots (52), and crosses (79). Spectators for Wednesday’s match can expect to see Rapinoe flashing her technical foot-skills on the wing and getting on the end of headers in the box.
Matchup to Watch:
MF Gunny Jonsdottir vs. MF Allie Long. The two international stars will duel it out on Wednesday in the midfield, bringing a physical game to both of their play. Both Jonsdottir and Long lead their team in fouls won and fouls conceded, and are known for being the target on the end of crosses, corner-kicks, and set pieces. Victory for the mid-week match-up is going to be dependent on who can control the pace in the center of the pitch.
All-Time Record:
The first time these two teams met was on June 27 at Rio Tinto Stadium in front of 8,504 fans. The match ended in a scoreless draw, with Utah registering 18 shots and six “big chances.” Reign FC dominated in the possession category, holding onto 54% of the run of play, and completing the most passes (470).
Last 5 Overall:
In the last five games, Seattle holds a record of 2-1-2. Their last two games included wins against the Houston Dash (July 7), and Portland Thorns FC (June 30). The Reign have demonstrated that they can beat good teams, climbing to the second-place spot behind N.C. Courage, but have also had close games to low-scoring offenses such as their scoreless draw against the Washington Spirit on June 16.
