Match Recap: Seattle Reign FC Earns Draw Against Utah Royals

At home on a sweltering summer day at Lumen Field, the Reign came back from a one goal deficit to earn a point against Utah Royals FC before heading into the international break. After a dominant first half, the Reign conceded a second half goal, but answered with an equalizer less than 10 minutes later. 

From the first whistle, the Reign immediately took control of the match, dominating with 75.6% possession in the first 15 minutes of the match. The team maintained control of the ball, stringing together passes to work toward a quality scoring opportunity. 

Seattle took eight shots in the first half, challenging Utah goalkeeper Mandy Haught to keep a clean sheet. On the other side of the ball, Seattle goalkeeper Claudia Dickey was asked to make a save in the 36th minute, when Royals forward Brecken Mozingo fired a shot from outside the 18-yard box. 

Leading up to the halftime whistle, Utah saw another opportunity, with Paige Monaghan hitting the woodwork in stoppage time. The Reign cleared the danger and saw the level scoreline through to halftime, earning a total of 61.9% possession. 

In the second half, the Reign put the ball in the back of the net in the 50th minute when forward Tziarra King’s cross into the box was deflected to the top of the six-yard box by Haught. Midfielder and captain Jess Fishlock was there to find the back of the net, but the goal was called after video review for a foul in the play that led to the goal. 

Once again level at zeroes, Utah stepped up into the game and found the first goal of the afternoon. In the 67th minute of the match, forward Ally Sentnor won possession of the ball and dribbled into the box before finding the back of the net. 

Now down a goal, the Reign continued to chase the game and were forced to defend an onslaught of Utah attacks. Dickey earned another important save in the 71st minute of the match, defending shots from both midfielder Dana Foederer and Sentnor. 

In the 75th minute, substitute Veronica Latsko found the all-important equalizer for the Reign. When a Reign passing sequence was deflected into the air inside Utah’s box, Latsko was the first to the ball, hustling to take a touch and put it in the back of the net. 

The Reign found seven more shots before the end of the match, but nothing was strong enough to take the lead, leaving Seattle and Utah to share the points heading into the international break and NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup. 

KEY TAKEWAYS: 

• NEW STARTING XI: Through all 16 games this season, Seattle Reign FC continues to utilize the depth of the squad, having not listed a replicated starting XI in 2024. Defender Sofia Huerta is the only player to start in all 16 games and to play every minute this season for a total of 1,440 minutes. Prior to Week 15, Huerta was one of seven field players in the NWSL to play every minute of every game in 2024.  

• RESILIENT REIGN: With today’s result, Seattle Reign FC extended its unbeaten streak to four games. Going into the international break, Seattle joins North Carolina and Orlando as the only three teams in the league with an active unbeaten streak of four games or more. In the last two games, the Reign trailed and was able to find a second-half equalizer to secure a point. 

• VERONICA LATSKO: Forward Veronica Latsko scored the game-tying goal in the 75th minute to help the Reign secure a point. Latsko now has three goals in 2024, including one game-winning goal and one game-tying goal. 

• Latsko now has 15 regular season goals all-time and eight with Seattle Reign FC, which ranks ninth in club history. 

• CLAUDIA DICKEY: Goalkeeper Claudia Dickey finished the match with seven saves, tying her single-game career high. This season, Dickey is unbeaten in all four of her starts at home (1W, 3D), earning two clean sheets and conceding just two goals. 

• SERIES: The draw brings the all-time series to 6W-1L-3D between the Reign and Utah Royals FC. 

UP NEXT: After an international break, the Reign return to Lumen Field to open the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup against the Utah Royals on Friday, July 19 at 6:00 p.m. PT. Fans get tickets to the match HERE.  

MATCH SUMMARY  

2024 NWSL Regular Season 

Seattle Reign FC 1 – 1 Utah Royals FC 

Date/Time: Sunday, July 7, 3:00 p.m. PT  

Location: Lumen Field, Seattle, Washington 

Weather: 93, sunny 

Scoring Summary  

SEA: Latsko – 75’ 

UTA: Sentnor – 67’  

Discipline   

SEA: None 

UTA: None 

Lineups  

SEA: GK Dickey, D Huerta, D Brown (Holmes 59’), D McClernon, D Cook, M Fishlock (c) (James-Turner 59’), M Quinn (Athens 90+1’), M Ji, F King (Adames 90+1’), F Balcer (Latsko 64’), F Huitema 

Unused substitutes: GK Ivory, D Woodham, M Mercado, M Stanton 

Total Shots: 20 (King, Latsko – 4)  

Shots on Goal: 6 (King – 3)  

Fouls: 4 (Four tied with– 1)  

Offsides: 4 

Corner Kicks: 5 

Saves: 7 (Dickey – 7)  

UTA: GK Haught, D Del Fava, D Burns, D Pogarch, M Foederer, M Nyberg (Flynn 46’ (Merrick 8`’)), F Mozingo, F Monaghan (c) (Tucker 81’), F Sentnor, F Betfort (Onumonu 77’) 

Unused substitutes:  GK Roque, M Gray, D Riehl 

Total Shots: 15 (Sentnor – 7)  

Shots on Goal: 7 (Sentnor – 7) 

Fouls: 8 (Betfort, Tejada – 2)  

Offsides: 2 

Corner Kicks: 2 

Saves: 5 (Haught – 5)   

Player of the Match: Veronica Latsko 

Referee: Matt Thompson 

Assistant Referee 1: Darren Bandy 

Assistant Referee 2: Matt Trotter 

4th Official: Kelsey Harms 

VAR: Alexandra Billeter 

AVAR: Kaili Terry