Controversy surrounds Sky Blue FC, Utah Royals FC ending

PISCATAWAY, NEW JERSEY (Aug. 20, 2018) – Sky Blue FC was seconds away from clinching the club’s first victory of the 2018 season.

Then, referee Guido Gonzales allowed for another minute of stoppage time. The decision came when the referee blew his whistle at Sky Blue FC goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan for time wasting.

Instead of giving Sheridan a yellow card, Gonzales allowed for more stoppage time action. Because of that, Amy Rodriguez was able to find the back of Sheridan’s net, giving the Utah Royals FC the equalizing goal.

Controversy surrounds Sky Blue FC, Utah Royals FC ending

Only seconds after Rodriguez’ goal, Gonzales blew the final whistle. After seeing the club’s first victory in their sights, Sky Blue FC players hit the pitch in shock and anger. Even Denise Reddy was animated on the sideline, attempting to go after the referee crew.

Despite the lack of a win, Reddy complimented her team after the match, saying that Sky Blue had a “really good performance from the opening minute of the game.”

“We played tight defensively, and we were smart in our attacks,” Reddy said. “We also did a good job of not allowing them to counter much in transition. I am so proud of the way our team played because they never stopped working at any moment in the game. They deserved more out of this performance.”

Sky Blue FC found the opening goal of the match off Katie Johnson in the 14th minute. Then, Johnson found the net again in the 48th minute, giving Sky Blue a substantial lead in the opening minutes of the second half.

However, before Rodriguez’ tallied the big equalizer, Dominique Richardson of Sky Blue FC scored an own goal in the 58th minute, giving Utah a boost.

After the match, Royals FC Head Coach Laura Harvey said that Sky Blue FC was the “far better team” for the first 55 minutes.

“The lightning break definitely helped us, and you know credit to the players, they never stopped going, they never stopped pushing,” Harvey said. “I just said to them then, we believe we have to win three games to get into the playoffs, but it’s the NWSL. You never know, so we have to keep pushing until the end and try and hopefully get another six points on the board.”

The setup from Press. The finish by A-Rod. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/FT6CdWzrOR

— Utah Royals (@UtahRoyalsFC) August 19, 2018

Three Takeaways

All the blame can’t go to the referee: There is clearly frustration against the referee for adding on plenty of stoppage time. However, it is still the job of the whole team — especially the defenders and Kailen Sheridan — to stop Rodriguez from scoring. The situation has two sides and both have well-thought-out defenses. However, Sky Blue could have earned the win if there was proper defending on Rodriguez.
Utah really needed three points: Maybe Utah got too soft since the opponent, Sky Blue, has yet to win an NWSL game, but losing three points on Saturday did not help playoff chances. There is a really tight race between the third and fourth place teams in keeping their respective spots. Right now, the Houston Dash, Orlando Pride, and Utah Royals FC are hot on the heels of playoff-spot teams. However, points are crucial and three is the target.
Barnhart is still No. 1: With the playoff race still heating up, it seems like Laura Harvey is keeping Nicole Barnhart in goal. The veteran had a rough night, letting two goals past her from Katie Johnson and only recording one save. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Laura Harvey give Abby Smith another start in goal, should Utah be officially eliminated from playoff contention.