In week 2 of the NWSL regular season, Utah Royals Head Coach Amy Rodriguez secured the first win for the club in their return to the league as they defeated the North Carolina Courage 2-1.
Rodriguez Wins Against Former NWSL Club
As the former captain of the Royals , Rodriguez retired from the NWSL as a player in 2021 as she concluded her career with the Courage. With the first victory under her belt, Rodriguez defeated her former head coach, Sean Nahas.
“I have great respect for Sean Nahas but there is no sweeter feeling than beating your former team,” said Rodriguez following the match. “ I think Emily Gray and Frankie would agree with me on that it’s a sweet feeling to beat the North Carolina side, a very good North Carolina side who had multiple chances tonight and we battled through so many crosses so many attacks from them very very pleased with the group and to walk away with a win against a very strong North Carolina side is something I’m very proud of.”
Rodriguez played with the Royals for all three years of its initial existence in the league and eventually earned the leadership role as the club’s captain. Overall, her NWSL career also includes back-to-back NWSL Championships with FC Kansas City (now Kansas City Current) and NWSL Best XI and NWSL Championship MVP honors along with being a household name for the U.S. Women’s National Team.
In her first-year as a head coach, Rodriguez is also part of a unique coaching group among the 14 NWSL teams as she is now coaching alongside her former coaches such as Laura Harvey and Vlatko Andonovski.
Royals Return With Three Points At Home
On Friday evening, the Royals hosted their second consecutive home game and within the first 15 minutes, they made club history. From a set piece, defender Kate Del Fava timed the corner kick delivery from Paige Monaghan to head the ball to the back of the net and recorded the first goal for Utah.
“They were playing the song ‘Best Freaking Night of My Life’ when the game finished and that’s exactly how it felt,” said Rodriguez. “We battled through that game and it was tough to sit through those last nine minutes of stoppage time. I was on the edge of my seat all night, I’m so proud of the girls that they battled through all those waves and that they went through it. Very excited to have two phenomenal goals on the night as well.”
Eventually, the Courage found an equalizer as Ashley Sanchez made her mark to score her first goal with North Carolina. However, the NWSL rookie Ally Sentnor held her ground in the first half as the No. 1 2024 NWSL Draft pick chipped a shot from the top of the box to soar past Courage goalkeeper, Casey Murphy.
The goal from Sentnor along with the Royals’ ability to maintain their competitive edge allowed Utah to celebrate a key milestone as they look to make a mark in their return to the league.
