One goal in the 30th minute ends the Wave's season at Snapdragon
Utah Royals FC beat San Diego Wave FC 1-0 in the NWSL quarterfinal at Snapdragon Stadium on Friday night. Kiana Palacios scored the only goal on the half hour, Utah's first ever playoff goal, and the No. 7 seed held off the No. 2 seed for its first win over San Diego in club history.
SAN DIEGO: The best regular season in San Diego Wave FC history ended in one half hour of Friday night. Utah Royals FC, the No. 7 seed, beat the No. 2 seed Wave 1-0 at Snapdragon Stadium in the opening quarterfinal of the NWSL playoffs, on a 30th minute goal from Kiana Palacios. It was the first playoff match Utah have ever played, the first playoff goal the club has ever scored, and the first time the Royals have beaten San Diego in their history.
The Wave came in on a run of seven matches unbeaten, and they started like the home favorites. Five minutes in, Melanie Barcenas met the ball at the penalty spot with an uncontested header that Utah goalkeeper Mandy McGlynn got low to turn away. McGlynn was called on again soon after, pushing a powerful Lia Godfrey shot away with a strong right hand.
Utah answer, then Utah score
The visitors settled and began to carry a threat of their own. Paige Cronin crossed for Cloe Lacasse in the 13th minute and Lacasse put the chance just high of the far post. Three minutes later Nuria Rabano read a pass and stole the ball high in the San Diego half, found Cronin, and Cronin's shot toward the top of the net drew a diving left handed save from Sandra Panos. San Diego then forced a double save off the Utah goal line, Kate Del Fava and Cronin combining to keep the ball out, before the pressure told at the other end.
On the half hour, Jameese Joseph spread the play wide to Lacasse, who crossed into the penalty spot where Palacios was waiting. Palacios took a touch with her right foot, turned, and finished with her left, the shot passing McNabb on its way into the side netting. Utah, who had lost both regular season meetings with San Diego this year, at home in March and 4-2 at Snapdragon in August, carried that lead to halftime.
A second half of saves and blocks
Palacios nearly doubled the lead five minutes after the restart, cutting onto her left foot and curling a shot just wide of the far post. Kenza Dali answered at once with a chance inside the box that Miyabi blocked with a sliding challenge, and Miyabi then went close at the other end in the 67th minute, putting a shot over the crossbar from a good position inside the area.
The last clear opening fell to the home side in the 77th minute. Gia Corley drove up the left and mishit a cross that swung toward the top left corner, and McGlynn readjusted in mid dive to reject it with her right hand. Seven minutes of stoppage time followed, with Utah pressing high, clearing their lines and McGlynn gathering what came through, and at the whistle the visiting bench cleared onto the field.
The numbers describe a home side that controlled the match and lost it anyway. San Diego led possession 63 percent to 37, shots 16 to 8, shots on goal 5 to 2 and corner kicks 10 to 3. Utah finish the night 14-11-5 on 47 points, against the Wave's 18-8-4 and 58, and San Diego were held scoreless at home for the first time since July 26. The Wave's season, which set club records for wins and points, ends in the quarterfinal round. Utah travel next weekend to play the winner of Sunday's quarterfinal between the Washington Spirit and the Portland Thorns in a semifinal, the first in the Royals' history.
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