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SEATTLE — In the end, Utah Royals coach Laura Harvey’s return to Seattle proved bittersweet.
Megan Rapinoe scored less than 10 minutes into the second half, and goalkeeper Lydia Williams made it stand up as Seattle Reign FC took a 1-0 win over Utah Royals FC in a midweek match Wednesday night at Memorial Stadium in Seattle.
"It was a battle. We knew that from the start; it’s very hard to come to this field," Utah midfielder Gunny Jonsdottir said after the match. "We wanted to high press, and it didn’t always work. They didn’t get too many chances — neither did we — but they scored on that corner that decided the game."
With the win, the Reign (8-3-5, 29 points) secured their fourth-straight result and solidified their second-place standing in the NWSL table — four points ahead of Orlando.
Utah fell to 5-5-6 on the season with 21 points, just one point ahead of seventh-place Houston.
Utah coach Laura Harvey, who won back-to-back NWSL regular-season titles as coach of the Reign, was met with handshakes and hugs by many of her former players Wednesday night. But her new side has yet to score a goal against Seattle, including a 0-0 draw in their last meeting June 27 at Rio Tinto Stadium.
Newly acquired Utah center back Sam Johnson earned a yellow card just 12 minutes into the match Wednesday, meaning she will be ineligible for Saturday’s match against the Orlando Pride.
The Royals played the match shorthanded after winger Diana Matheson was suspended one game by the NWSL disciplinary committee Tuesday.
Amy Rodriguez had a chance less than two minutes after halftime. The Royals striker beat Seattle goalkeeper Lydia Williams to a loose ball inside the box, but her right-foot shot from an acute angle off the end line struck the side netting.
Rapinoe gave the Reign the lead in the first 10 minutes of the second half, heading home the opener in the 54th minute off a short-corner kick cross played in by Steph Catley.
It was the first and only shot on target from either side, according to the league’s official stats partner Opta. Both teams put up nine shots apiece in 90 minutes.
"It was very hard to break them," Jonsdottir said. "They are very organized, so we had a hard time getting through their defense.
"We tried our best, but it didn’t work out today."
The Royals come away with back-to-back losses on a road trip to the Pacific Northwest, after losing 4-0 to Portland late Friday night.
Next up
Utah returns home Saturday against the Orlando Pride. Kickoff at Rio Tinto Stadium is scheduled for 5 p.m. MT in a game that will be broadcast on ESPNews.
