URFC Remains Unbeaten In Last Four After Draw With Spirit
Aug 21, 2019, 9:25 PM
Royals players celebrate after a goal by Utah Royals FC forward Christen Press (23) as the Salt Lake Royals and Sky Blue FC play at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2019. (Scott G. Winterton, Deseret News)
(Scott G. Winterton, Deseret News)
BOYDS, Md. – Utah Royals FC is now unbeaten in their last four matches after a 0-0 draw on the road against the Washington Spirit.
The Royals finished a three game road trip with seven points out of a possible nine points. They started the trip with a 3-1 win over Reign FC and were coming off a 2-0 win at Orlando before the draw in Maryland.
Each team had just two shots on goal, with the Spirit firing 18 shots, compared to just 7 for Utah.
Washington looked like the more aggressive team with eight corner kicks to Utah’s two. Both teams committed seven fouls and each picked up one yellow card.
An unbeaten road trip pic.twitter.com/QT9E7OzwYp
— Utah Royals FC (@UtahRoyalsFC) August 22, 2019
The Spirit had 56 percent possession, while the Royals had the ball 44 percent of the time.
One of the better chances for Utah was in the 53rd minute on a shot by Christen Press.
All grit 💪 pic.twitter.com/Ct6uItSSfh
— Utah Royals FC (@UtahRoyalsFC) August 22, 2019
The Royals defense stepped up in a big way with 29 clearances compared to Washington’s 15.
Utah now holds an 8-6-4 record with 28 points. They are tied for third place in the NWSL standings with the North Carolina Courage. The Royals are one point behind the Chicago Red Stars for second place and five points behind the Portland Thorns for first place.
The Royals will return to Rio Tinto Stadium on Friday, September 6 against the Portland Thorns. The match will begin at 7:30 and will be streamed at sports.ksl.com or the KSL TV app.
