After the North Carolina Courage scored their the second goal, Utah Royals FC midfielder Gunnhildur Jonsdottir, standing at midfield waiting for play to restart, waved her arms up and down, urging the crowd to pick up its energy. It cheered loudly and later engaged in a “Let’s Go Royals” chant.
But then the third goal happened. A goal that keeper Nicole Barnhart didn’t appear to even attempt saving. At that point, nothing the Royals did could have stopped the inevitable.
The Royals lost 3-0 to the Courage on Saturday night in front of 9,946 fans at Rio Tinto Stadium, potentially landing a prizefighter-type gut punch to Utah’s playoff hopes.