Match preview: Seattle Reign vs. Utah Royals

Susie Rantz -

Riding a four-game losing streak and as close as possible to falling out of the playoff race, Seattle Reign are playing for pride now as they close out the 2024 NWSL season. The Reign are back on the road on Sunday, October 13, facing off against the Utah Royals.

The match kicks off at 2 PM PT and will air on ESPN 2 and ESPN+. Fans outside the U.S. can watch on NWSL+.

If the Reign win, they'll eliminate Utah from the playoffs. If Utah wins, they'll do the same for the Reign. A draw pretty much knocks both teams out, although it still depends on other results. Both teams are hanging on by a thread.

After a rocky season with a lot of player transition and new owners halfway through the season, Reign head coach Laura Harvey expects that she and the players will fight to prove themselves this weekend.

"I think everyone's personal pride takes over. This is our careers. We want to go out there and put on a good performance, both individually and collectively. I think that's what our job is to go and do, so we've got to try and make sure we do that as best we possibly can."

Recent results

The Reign lost to Angel City last weekend, marking the club's third-straight 1-0 loss. The Utah Royals beat the Portland Thorns 2-1 on the road last Saturday and have won their last two games.

Head-to-Head

This is the second regular season matchup between the two teams in 2024.

  • The Reign and Royals drew 1-1 at Lumen Field in July.
  • While Utah is considered an expansion club, the Royals have some history in the NWSL. If we count that history, the Reign are 7-1-3 all-time against the Royals and have a 3-0-2 record in Utah.

Quick Stats

  • Utah (6-14-3, 21 points) has scored 17 goals and conceded 35.
  • Seattle (5-13-5, 20 points) has scored 23 goals and conceded 37.
  • The Reign are 3-5-4 on the road this season. Utah is 3-6-2 at home.
  • The Reign have used a different lineup in all 23 regular-season matches.
  • Rookie Ally Sentnor leads Utah with three goals and four assists.

What to watch

Starting strong

The Royals have a record of 0-14-0 when conceding first this season. Not a single draw. Not a single win. The Reign haven't scored early much this season, which is a big reason for their struggles, but there's no time like the present to flip that. If the Reign can create and finish an early chance, they'll have a much easier time dictating the game and playing like they want – and hopefully finding some joy again in the attack.

If the Reign can't get some early momentum, they'll deal with a Utah Royals side that has become extremely dangerous in transition. Just look at some of Utah's recent goals. If they don't score early, the Reign will need to be prepared to defend in transition – the case in pretty much any NWSL game this year – and work hard to prevent giveaways in bad spots on the field.

New players on both sides

While they just faced each other this summer, this will be a new lineup for both teams. The Reign and Royals added some key players before the international window closed in August. For the Reign, that means bringing in talented young defender Jordyn Bugg, attackers Ana-Maria Crnogorčević and Nérilia Mondésir, and midfield destroyer Jaelin Howell.

Utah, meanwhile, filled a big gap in the midfield – adding holding midfielder Claudia Zornoza from Real Madrid. Zornoza represented Spain in the 2023 World Cup and has added such a presence in Utah's midfield. They were also joined by Cloé Lacasse, a Canadian international who transferred from Arsenal and is a really direct wing player who likes to dribble at players. Mina Tanaka, who has 30 goals in 74 caps with Japan, also arrived in the summer.

Ally Sentnor: still good

One player who was actually unavailable for the Royals during their introduction of new players is Ally Sentnor, who captained the U.S. U-20 squad alongside Reign players Jordyn Bugg and Emeri Adames in the U-20 World Cup and scored four goals in the tournament. Sentnor was having a fantastic rookie season before heading to the World Cup, and she's returned in a similar fashion.

Sentnor has contributed to 7 of Utah's 17 goals this season. She scored Utah's lone goal against the Reign in July and assisted a goal in her second match back with the squad last weekend.

Sentnor recently played center attacking midfield but is also dangerous on the left wing, where she can take players on. She's dangerous on the dribble, has great vision, and scores bangers from distance. Despite missing a lot of club time while at the U-20 World Cup, she's 10th in the league in shot-creating actions and ninth in key passes. The Reign can't give her open opportunities in and around the box.

Injury / Availability Report

Seattle Reign

OUT: Ryanne Brown (SEI – knee), Jess Fishlock (leg), Quinn (head), Olivia Van der Jagt (excused absence)
INTERNATIONAL DUTY: Ainsley McCammon (USA)

Utah Royals

OUT: Imani Dorsey (SEI - achilles), Carly Nelson (excused absence), Macey Fraser (excused absence), Lauren Flynn (SEI - lower leg), Paige Monaghan (hip), Julia Grosso (knee), Olivia Griffitts (foot), Mikayla Cluff (ankle), Hannah Betfort (abdomen)

How to Watch

Seattle Reign is on the road against the Utah Royals on Sunday, October 13. The game starts at 2 PM PT and will air on ESPN 2 and ESPN+. Fans outside the U.S. can watch on NWSL+.