Playing on the road in brutally hot conditions, Seattle Reign FC (10–4–6, 36 points) left with a 1–0 win, the 10th clean sheet of the season, and a massive three points. Beating Utah Royals FC (7–7–7, 28 points) keeps Reign FC in second place, with every point crucial in a six-team battle for the three remaining playoff spots. Jess Fishlock’s header in the 48th minute was the match-winner, and her first goal of 2018.
Neither team could sustain possession during the first five minutes. The run of play shifted back-and-forth in the early going, sending the ball to every area of the pitch. Utah goalkeeper Abby Smith made her first touch in the eighth minute, coming off her line to clear Megan Rapinoe’s through ball before Fishlock could get to it.
Smith secured her first save in the 11th minute after a lovely buildup by Seattle. Morgan Andrews won the ball in the midfield and slid it to Fishlock, who lofted a through ball into the final third for Rapinoe. Rapinoe settled the ball and got an angle for a left-footed shot. She struck the ball low and toward the near post, where Smith scooted over to make the stop. Reign FC won the first corner kick of the match in the 14th minute. Jasmyne Spencer raced into the box, supported by Theresa Nielsen. The Dutch defender’s cross was blocked away, leading to a Lauren Barnes corner that went untouched by any teammates.
Rapinoe had another good look at the goal in the 17th minute. She took a pass from fellow forward Jodie Taylor and moved the ball to her right foot. Rapinoe uncorked a shot toward the lower quadrant of the goal. Smith was there for another save, doing well to keep the ball out while avoiding giving Seattle a corner kick. The next dead ball triggered a hydration break, as temperatures in Utah sat around 100 degrees.
After the break, Nielsen linked with Spencer up the right flank. Spencer delivered a low-flying cross intended for Rapinoe, but Smith was there again to stop the chance. Reign FC created two more chances in the 24th minute. Rapinoe had the first, sending a half volley up and over the crossbar before Taylor had her shot gloved by Smith seconds later.
Utah won a free kick in the 26th minute following Rapinoe’s first foul of the afternoon. Katrina Gorry took the kick from a dangerous spot, aiming for Christen Press’ head. Her ball was high by a few inches, whizzing over Press and out of play. Just before the second hydration break of the half, Nielsen got her foot on Taylor Lytle’s cross, ending the threat.
Utah pushed forward in the 41st minute with a cross that briefly bounced away from Christen Westphal. Diana Matheson got the ball for Utah, angling toward the sideline in hopes of getting a cross off. Westphal tracked her well and forced a turnover at the touchline, giving Seattle the ball back. Lydia Williams made her first save of the day in the 43rd minute. Press laced a shot toward the post, but Williams dove to meet the ball just before it could cross the goal line.
Spencer logged Reign FC’s final shot of the half in the 45th minute. After finding some space she unleashed a left-footed curler. Smith stood in the middle of the frame and caught the shot. In the fifth minute of stoppage time, Seattle won a free kick that Utah picked off, streaking the other way until Seattle’s defense stopped them to bring the halftime intermission.
Reign FC got on the board just three minutes into the second half. Megan Oyster swung a cross into the box from the right side and Fishlock elevated to meet the ball redirecting it perfectly into the top of the net. This was Fishlock’s first goal of the year, Oyster’s second assist, and a play that gave Reign FC a 1–0 lead.
Williams scooped up her second save in the 60th minute. Press found Diana Matheson on a cross, which Matheson headed goalward. Williams scampered back to the center of the goal mouth to make the save. A hydration break followed, giving Utah an opportunity to bring Amy Rodriguez in to the match.
Taylor applied pressure to Utah’s defense in the 66th minute, chasing forward in pursuit of a bouncing ball. Running stride-for-stride with Rachel Corsie, Taylor nearly got a foot on the ball, but Smith darted forward to handle it. As the clock ticked past 70’, Katie Stengel entered the match. Utah’s leading goal scorer took Matheson’s spot on the frontline.
Utah would build some possession in the final 20 minutes of the match. Oyster stepped in to poach the ball in the 71st minute when Becca Moros threaded a pass toward the six-yard box. Seattle’s defense shone again in the 72nd when Morgan Andrews came from behind to deflect Amy Rodriguez’s cross to safety. Andrews’ touch drove the ball right to Lydia Williams and away from all Utah attackers. Andrews would cede her position to Kristen McNabb after 75 minutes of solid play in the middle of the pitch.
Adriana Leon was the second sub for Seattle. She relieved Jasmyne Spencer, who played 80 minutes alongside forwards Rapinoe and Taylor. Pushing forward in the waning moments, Rapinoe nearly doubled Seattle’s lead in the 83rd minute. Lauren Barnes chipped the ball ahead for Rapinoe, who blasted it toward Smith with her left foot. The ball smashed against the crossbar, not far from giving Reign FC its second goal.
Alyssa Kleiner served as Reign FC’s last substitute. The Las Vegas native replaced Fishlock in the 88th minute, just before the end of regulation. Due to the hydration breaks, eight minutes were added to the end of the match. Utah’s corner kick two minutes into stoppage time ended with Allie Long heading the ball far away. In the Royals’ final offensive flurry, Christen Press mishit a shot from inside the penalty area, failing to get the potential equalizer on target. That would stand as the last significant play of the match, with the final whistle giving Seattle its second consecutive win.
Reign FC leaves Utah with three points, heading home for a trio of matches on UW Medicine Pitch at Memorial Stadium. Next up, the club has a midweek fixture with Chicago on Wednesday, August 15. Seattle remains second in a congested NWSL table, needing every point possible as the team tries to lock up a home playoff match. Tickets for all three remaining home matches are available at www.reignfc.com/tickets.
