June 17, 2024 – National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL)
Utah Royals FC News Release
SAN JOSE, California – Utah Royals FC (2-10-1, 7 pts, 14th NWSL) recorded its second win of the club’s maiden NWSL campaign with a narrow 1-0 victory against Bay FC (4-9-0, 12 pts, 12th NWSL) in a grueling encounter at PayPal Park in San Jose, California on Sunday, June 16th, 2024.
Kate Del Fava proved the unlikely hero from defense with a header for a late goal near the death to record her second goal of the season and also hand URFC its own second win of the 2024 NWSL campaign, and first road win in NWSL history.
The Royals started the game in the ascendancy and the better of both teams with its quick, inventive passing and pressing proving hard for their opponents to come to grips with. In the 16th minute, a through ball played through the heart of the Royals defense found Asisat Oshoala onside and in behind the last defender, under pressure to get the shot away quickly, her subsequent tame effort was well parried away by Mandy Haught. In the aftermath of Haught’s save, the rebound then fell to Rachael Kundananji in front of an open goal inside the penalty box but the striker failed to connect properly and fluffed her lines with the goal gaping.
The hosts began to gradually grow into the game and had another chance in the 24th minute. A lofted cross field ball from the left found Tess Boade just outside the penalty area, who delivered a sublime stepover to get beyond Lauren Flynn and create space before releasing a cheeky outside of the foot shot to try and catch Haught out, but the URFC shot stopper was well positioned to make the save.
Things then took a slightly unfortunate turn for URFC in the first half as Flynn was forced to come off in the 25th minute after failing to shake off an injury sustained minutes earlier in the game.
Utah’s control of the game gradually faded in the first half as the game went on as Bay FC began to gain momentum and continued to encroach and find spaces to exploit in the Royals half. The hosts had another chance, albeit fortuitously, in the 28th minute. Fullback, Caprice Dydasco received the ball in the right half space far up the field and delivered a cross-cum shot attempting to find Oshoala’s run at the back post, but her mishit effort sailed over everyone in the box and clipped the top of the cross bar before going out for a goal kick.
The host’s best chance of the game arrived late in the first half with the halftime whistle…