June 30, 2024 – National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL)
Utah Royals FC News Release
SANDY, Utah Utah Royals FC (2-11-2, 8 pts, 14th NWSL) earned a hard-fought point at home, and only its second draw in the Club’s maiden NWSL season, in a difficult but promising goalless draw against the Portland Thorns (7-5-3, 24pts, 5th NWSL) at America First Field on Saturday, June 29, 2024.
In a game URFC mostly dominated, the team delivered an organized, mature, and defensively solid performance to earn a richly deserved third clean sheet of the 2024 campaign. Nigerian international, Ify Onumonu also made an encouraging long-awaited return from injury, coming on in the 66th minute in place of Paige Monaghan.
Story of the Game
The Royals started the game as the better team and generated its first clear-cut opportunity as early as the seventh minute. A turnover in midfield allowed Madison Pogarch to drive up the pitch before playing a pass centrally to Hannah Betfort who took a touch for control before playing a through ball toward the right and into the path of Brecken Mozingo, unmarked and inside the penalty box, but Mozingo’s subsequent curled left-footed effort whistled agonizing over the bar.
URFC generated another chance barely three minutes later when Dana Foederer capitalized on a loose ball high up the field and unleashed a fierce low strike from range that beat Shelby Hogan before rattling the bottom of the post and bouncing away.
Forward Ally Sentnor, playing the number 10 role, also delivered another electric, promising performance echoing her reputation as one of the most talented young players in the country. URFC’s number 9 had a chance for herself in the 15th minute to put the hosts in front. Finding space with the ball on the left side of the penalty box, Sentnor took a few touches to create space for a shot before arrowing a low strike toward the goal from a difficult angle, but her effort was saved by Hogan.
The Royals continued to dominate most of the proceedings and created another glorious chance to go ahead just 10 minutes before halftime. In the 35th minute, a long ball from Mandy Haught was headed on by Mozingo and into the path of Betfort who outmuscled a defender before cutting inside and unleashing a dangerous low right-footed strike which was just narrowly tipped away again by Hogan.
Throughout a promising Royals first half, URFC boasted a higher percentage of possession with 52 percent, including a total of 12 shots and seven coming on…
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