Match Coverage
The road trip continues: Can Utah Royals FC win @ Chicago Red Stars?
That is the question.
Match Details
Utah Royals FC @ Chicago Red Stars
SeatGeeek Stadium | 3:30 pm MT
WATCH on KMYU locally (2.2 over air / 12 satellite / 643 Comcast HD) OR NWSL+
LISTEN via KSL Sports Radio (102.7 FM / 1160 AM) starting at 2:30 p.m. MT
Utah Royals (1-6-1 pts, 14th) continue their three-game road trip in Chicago to face the Red Stars (4-3-1, 13 pts, 5th) in a Mother's Day matchup. This is the second meeting of the season between both teams. Chicago last won 2-0 in the Royals home opener of the season, so there is some familiarity in an opponent.
Can Utah Royals win in Chicago?
The hopeful answer would be, "Absolutely!" The realistic answer, "Um...." The Royals are 1-6-1 so far in the season. That's one win. ONE. Six losses. SIX. And one draw. ONE. It's looking pretty dire. The Royals are coming off a 2-0 loss on Wednesday against the San Diego Wave, which was basically a team without its usual key players because of injuries. That is a San Diego team without Abby Dahlkemper, Naomi Girma, Sofia Jakobsson, and Alex Morgan, and still Utah could not come close to leaving Southern California with a point or three. Instead, the Royals departed San Diego with their sixth loss of the season, and sixth straight game without a win. The Royals also conceded another penalty, their sixth of the season in the 35th minute, as Paige Monaghan was called for a handball in the penatly box.
They now face a Chicago Red Stars team that can be pretty tough to beat. Chicago is coming off a 2-1 comeback win over Bay FC, and currently stand in 5th place in the NWSL table. The good news for Utah is that Chicago is 1-3 at home, but Mallory Swanson is a forward that finds ways to get shots on target. She is fourth in the NWSL with 12 shots on target. In their first meeting back in March, however, Utah was able to maintain the majority of the possession (67.5%), passing accuracy (82.4%), and shots (19 to 10). If Utah can win in those areas again, and be clinical in the final third, a win is possible. They need a win, and head coach Amy Rodriguez said after the loss in San Diego, "We are very hungry to get some points on the road."
Here's their chance because Utah desperately needs a win.
Injury Report
OUT: Imani Dorsey (SEI - achilles), Ifeoma Onumonu (ankle), Kaleigh Riehl (calf), Carly Nelson (excused absence)
