Utah Royals FC returned to Rio Tinto Stadium for the first time since the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup ended. Prior to the match, Utah welcomed back all six of their international players back from World Cup action to a nearly packed stadium.
This match didn’t start off quite so smoothly for Utah. In just the first few minutes, Portland was quick on the press and already showing to be the better team. Earning a corner just minutes in, they forced Nicole Barnhart into a save.
In the 5th minute, Mandy Laddish went down with an injury.