Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah, is set to host its first NWSL match in franchise history as Utah Royals FC kick off their home campaign against the Chicago Red Stars on Saturday on Lifetime TV.
NWSL – Saturday, April 14
Utah Royals FC vs. Chicago Red Stars – 3:30 p.m. ET (TV: Lifetime Game
of the Week)
Saturday’s Lifetime Game of the Week will feature the home opener for Becky Sauerbrunn, Kelley O’Hara and the Utah Royals FC.
Utah will host Alyssa Naeher, Casey Short, Sofia Huerta
and the Chicago Red Stars, as each team looks for their first win of the
season. Julie Ertz will not play in the match as she
continues recovering from a right knee sprain.
Utah comes into the game with two draws while Chicago has a loss and a draw so far.With three goals this season the Red Stars are in a three-way tie for the most goals while Utah has scored just once.
Washington Spirit vs. North Carolina Courage – 7 p.m. ET (go90.com)
In the second game on Saturday, Abby Dahlkemper, Crystal Dunn, Lynn Williamsand the
NWSL-leading Courage – the only team to win its first two games of the
season – will travel to Washington to face
Mallory Pugh, Taylor Smith, Andi Sullivan and Ashley Hatch
at the Maryland SoccerPlex. The Courage are also the only team in the NWSL
yet to concede a goal.
The match marks a return for Dunn to the Maryland SoccerPlex, where she played for the Spirit from 2014-16. She won the 2015 NWSL MVP after scoring 15 goals for the Spirit, and in her final game with the club, she scored two goals in the 2016 NWSL Championship before the Spirit fell to the Western New York Flash in penalty kicks. The Courage acquired Dunn in a trade that sent Hatch and Smith to Washington, and the pair will both be playing in their first games against their former team as well.
NWSL – Sunday, April 15
Sky Blue FC vs. Seattle Reign – 5 p.m. ET (go90.com)
After having byes in the first two weeks of the season, both Sky Blue FC
and the Seattle Reign will be playing their second games of the year. Carli Lloyd, Savannah McCaskill and the New Jersey side
are coming off a loss to the Courage, while Megan Rapinoe, Allie Long and Seattle won their home
opener back on Week 1, a 2-1 against the Spirit in a rousing end-to-end
match.
Five of the last nine matches between Sky Blue and Seattle have ended in draws, with each team picking up two wins. The last time Seattle played in New Jersey, the Reign took a 3-0 lead into halftime, only to lose the game 5-4.
Portland Thorns FC vs. Orlando Pride – 6 p.m. ET (go90.com)
Orlando will look to bounce back this week when it visits Lindsey Horan, Meghan Klingenberg, Emily Sonnett and the
Portland Thorns on Sunday evening. Alex Morgan, Ashlyn Harris and the Pride are coming off a
2-0 loss against Washington, while Portland last earned a thrilling 3-2 in
on the road vs. Chicago. Tobin Heathis listed as
questionable for the game.
Including the playoffs, Portland is 4-1-1 all-time against Orlando. The Thorns have outscored the Pride 8-2 when playing at home, including playoffs. Orlando’s 2-0 loss to Washington in their last away game snapped a three-game regular season road winning streak and a streak of 11 straight league away games with a goal.
Watch NWSL on go90.com
Watch live in the USA on a mobile device or tablet, download the go90 app
(free) via the App Store or Google Play. No registration or authentication
is required. Fans can also watch matches on their laptops via go90.com and
nwslsoccer.com. Internationally all games are available on the NWSL app and
the NWSL website.
The complete 2018 NWSL schedule is here. For more in-depth information and the latest news and updates about the NWSL schedule, matchups, records, etc., visit: www.nwslsoccer.com and follow them on Twitter @NWSL.