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NWSL Sky Blue FC

Match Preview | Sky Blue FC Faces Utah Royals FC at Rio Tinto Stadium in Midweek Clash

August 6, 2019 - National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)
Sky Blue FC News Release


Howell, N.J. - Sky Blue FC heads to Utah for a midweek matchup against Utah Royals FC on Wednesday, August 7th, at 10:00 PM ET. Sky Blue is coming off a 1-1 draw against Portland Thorns FC on August 3rd.

Streaming

The match will be streamed live on Yahoo Sports and in the NWSL app. International fans can watch on NWSLsoccer.com.

Preview

Sky Blue FC holds ninth place in the NWSL standings with nine points and a record of 2-10-3. The Royals sit in seventh place, with 18 points and a record of 5-6-3. Wednesday's game is the third meeting of the season for the two teams. Sky Blue's 1-0 win against Utah on July 12th gave the Club its first win in five games between the sides. Sky Blue holds a 1-3-1 record against Utah.

Kailen Sheridan currently leads the league in save percentage at 80.4% with a minimum of 10 games played. Sheridan has faced the second-most shots on target per game played at 5.1 shots on target per game with a minimum of 10 games played. Imani Dorsey heads to Utah after finding the back of the net in the 1-1 draw against Portland on August 3rd. Dorsey now has 2 goals this season and leads the team with 27 total shots.

Sky Blue FC will be missing Raquel Rodriguez who is representing Costa Rica at the Pan American Games in Lima, Peru.

Opponent

Utah is coming off a 2-0 loss against the Chicago Red Stars at SeatGeek Stadium. Utah has not won in their last six matches, with four loses and two draws, and has conceded in five straight, both stats are team highs. The Royals have conceded two goals in each of their last three home games after conceding multiple goals only twice in the 17 prior home games.

With the return of Christen Press, Utah has averaged 1.1 goals a game versus the .05 goals a game when she was on international duty. Press currently has three goals this season, and two were scored after she made her return from the World Cup. Another player to watch is Amy Rodriguez, who leads the attack for Utah with five goals. The offensive pair have eight of Utah's 11 goals scored this season.

Royal's goalkeeper Nicole Barnhardt is a big reason for Utah's success. When it comes to expected goals against versus goals conceded, Barnhardt ranks fourth amongst NWSL keepers who have made 15+ appearances in the last two seasons. The best player of that statistic is Sky Blue's own Kailen Sheridan.

Sky Blue FC vs. Utah Royals FC Rewind

The two teams last played each other on July 12 at Yurcak Field. Sky Blue FC defeated Utah 1-0 with a goal from Jen Hoy in stoppage time. That was Sky Blue's first home win of the season.

Looking Ahead

After Wednesday's match, Sky Blue will return home on Wednesday, August 14 to host Sam Kerr, Julie Ertz and the Chicago Red Stars at Yurcak Field for the club's Back to School Night. Sky Blue defeated Chicago 2-1 in their previous match at SeatGeek Stadium on July 6th. This will be the second matchup of the season between the two teams. On August 18th Sky Blue FC will take on Megan Rapinoe and Reign FC at Red Bull Arena at 1 p.m. ET.

Tickets

Tickets for Wednesday, August 14th vs Chicago Red Stars can be purchased here.

Tickets for Sunday, August 18th vs Reign FC at Red Bull Arena can be purchased here.

Tickets to all Sky Blue FC home games are available now by calling 888-SBFC-TIX or by visiting skybluefc.com. All fans at the game will receive a Sky Blue FC game day program with player poster insert.

Season Ticket Memberships are still available. Call 888-SBFC-TIX today to learn about our No Unused Ticket Policy. All memberships receive an exclusive 2019 Season Ticket Membership scarf.

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National Women's Soccer League Stories from August 6, 2019


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