Utah Royals FC falls big to North Carolina Courage, 3-0

SANDY — It’s been a short history, but in six all-time meetings against the defending National Women’s Soccer League champion North Carolina Courage, Utah Royals FC has had a relatively good deal of success compared to the rest of the league, thanks in large part to how well it defends the high-powered Courage attack.

On Saturday night at Rio Tinto Stadium, URFC once again was good defensively, as North Carolina got off 14 shots while URFC got off 12, but the contest went off the rails for URFC thanks to a bunch of uncharacteristic mistakes, and it lost 3-0.

The first goal came on a penalty kick in the first half from the Courage’s Sam Mewis after URFC’s Becky Sauerbrunn fouled Kristen Hamilton in the box, and then URFC veteran goalkeeper Nicole Barnhart made a couple of odd blunders that led to two North Carolina goals in the second half.

The outcome marked the first time all season URFC has given up three goals in a game.

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“I think we did a good job of limiting their shots and their dangerous chances, but our mistakes turned into their goals,” outside back Mallory Weber said. “I don’t think we’ve seen mistakes like that turn into goals. We’ve seen the mistakes, but they haven’t cost us. Tonight we felt them all, so it’s definitely frustrating, especially to a team like that.”

Head coach Laura Harvey echoed that sentiment.

“I think the disappointing thing for us was we felt that we reduced them to shots on goal ... but to concede three goals the way we did — a penalty and two mistakes from us — is the most disappointing thing,” she said.

Said Sauerbrunn: “In a way, it’s kind of like we gave the game away.”

“I think the disappointing thing for us was we felt that we reduced them to shots on goal ... but to concede three goals the way we did — a penalty and two mistakes from us — is the most disappointing thing.” — Utah Royals FC coach Laura Harvey

With the loss, URFC was primed to fall out of the fourth and final playoff spot with three games remaining, but Reign FC, which URFC is tied with in the table, lost 1-0 to eighth-place Sky Blue FC later Saturday night.

That once again sets up a massive clash on Wednesday in Tacoma, Washington, between URFC and Reign FC that will go a long way in determining who goes to the playoffs. It’s a game that was supposed to be played last Wednesday but got rained out and rescheduled.

Both sides will have just two regular season games remaining after Wednesday.

On Saturday with North Carolina leading 1-0 after the Mewis penalty kick, the Courage’s Jaelene Hinkle had the ball about 30 yards out from goal in the 65th minute. It appeared she attempted to send in a long cross, but it wound up going right at the goal and Barnhart mishandled it.

Just five minutes later, a short Barnhart goal kick went right to North Carolina’s Debinha, and she slotted in an easy shot for the Courage’s third goal.

“The greatest thing about people like Barnie is that she straightaway is like, ‘My bad,’ so there’s not a lot to say about it,” Harvey said. “Obviously we’ll review it and try and help to make sure it doesn’t happen again, but there’s been multiple times in this season and previously where I’ve sat here and said she’s been phenomenal, so I’m never saying anything negative about Nicole Barnhart because she’s been phenomenal for us. She just made one really uncharacteristic mistake tonight.”

Despite the lopsided scoreline, Harvey isn’t too worried about any negative carryover into Wednesday’s all-important contest.

“I don’t think this is going to be something that will drag us down too much because it’s on us,” Harvey said. “It’s something that we can change. It’s not something that they railroaded us and we have no answer to it. It was on us, and ultimately on me, and I said that to the players at the end.”