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SANDY — If the Utah Royals were eager for their second season on the Wasatch Front, that excitement could have been tempered when the National Women’s Soccer League announced the 9-team league schedule — and Utah’s first week was scheduled for a bye.
Or it could have done the exact opposite.
“We were all watching the games, and having so much FOMO,” midfielder Erika Tymrak said.
Two weeks later, the Royals replaced that fear with something very different — six points.
Utah will open Week 4 of the NWSL regular season Friday night against the Chicago Red Stars (1-0-2, 5 points) as the second-best team in the league, and first in points per game.
The Royals (2-0-0, 6 points) trail just defending champion North Carolina (2-0-1) by just one point — and hold a game in hand on the league-leading Courage.
While it’s just two games, it’s hard to deny that Utah has had a strong start to its sophomore campaign. A team that finished one spot outside of the four-team playoff in 2018 feels like it can be a contender a year later, even if it loses as many as seven players for the upcoming FIFA Women’s World Cup, which starts June 7.
“We have a chip on our shoulder from last year,” said Tymrak, who came off the bench in the first two games but looks to have a more prominent role when the Royals lose the likes of midfielders Desiree Scott and Diana Matheson to international duty. “I think we just wanted to start the season really strong.”
Royals coach Laura Harvey never mentioned the need to start fast to her players. But it was always on her mind, and in a World Cup year, she said she didn't need to say much, if at all.
"We didn’t focus on it too much," Harvey said. "But me personally, in my mind, I knew if we could start well, then it will give us what we need to move forward on a good platform.
"Results-wise, it’s been perfect. But performance-wise, it hasn’t. And so from a group perspective, it means we challenge each other every day to be better."
While the Courage have blasted off to its hot start with offense — a remarkable 10 goals score with just two conceded — the Royals have vaulted toward the top of the table with defense. Utah’s back line of Becky Sauerbrunn, Rachel Corsie, Katie Bowen and rookie Michelle Maemone, along with goalkeeper Nicole Barnhart, pitched consecutive shutouts to start the campaign. They also held the Washington Spirit to just eight shots and two on goal in the opener, then added just three shots on goal-performance in last week’s 1-0 win over the Orlando Pride.
“Even going back to last year, something that we prided ourselves on was being tough to break down defensively,” said Barnhart, who has made just five saves. “That’s one of our strengths as a team: if we limit their chances, we are going to create chances, as well.
“We’re a very cohesive unit; Becky holds the fort down with Corsie, and our back-five — Desi does such a good job of blocking passing lanes and channels — and that makes my job a little bit easier.”
Any win provides a boost, a universal concept across sport. But in the NWSL in 2019, it’s even more so in the six weeks of the season.
With the advent of the FIFA Women’s World Cup in France, teams will start losing players from their clubs as national team coaches unveil their rosters for the upcoming event.
It started this week when Bowen was one of two NWSL players called in to represent New Zealand this summer. The outside back with 59 international caps and three goals likely won’t be the last player called to international duty from Utah, either.
The Royals are expected to lose as many as seven players to the World Cup, including Sauerbrunn, fullback Kelley O'Hara and forward Christen Press, who were officially named to the United States' roster Thursday morning; Scott and Matheson to Canada; and Corsie to Scotland, where she has represented as the squad’s captain.
So while it wasn’t something the team had to meet and discuss, potentially losing so many players to international duty was on everyone’s mind as the season opened.
“Collectively, we understand that it is going to be a bit of a challenging year based on who is here and not here at certain times,” Barnhart said. “But I think we all knew that we had to get points here, early on, as much as possible.
“Coming out and getting three points in the first two games is really positive and productive for us. But we have to keep going, as well.”
Chicago Red Stars (1-0-2, 5 points) at Utah Royals FC (2-0-0, 6 points)
When: Friday, May 4 at 7:30 p.m. MDT
Where: Rio Tinto Stadium
Streaming: Yahoo Sports app & KSL.com
