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Katrina “Mini” Gorry had a mixed season with Utah Royals FC, and one that ended with the club declining to pick up her option for 2019.
The Austrian international was announced as a new signing with Utah Royals on February 14, 2018 for the team’s inaugural season. In 2014, Gorry played one season in the NWSL, that year with the NWSL Championship winning FC Kansas City. 2014 was certainly a highlight year for Gorry, as she won AFC Women’s Player of the Year and FFA Female Footballer of the Year on top of the NWSL Championship. Since 2012, she’s been a staple of her hometown team Brisbane Roar of the W-League.
Gorry’s time with the Royals was not bad but perhaps underwhelming. She was one of the last players to report to the team, as she was with the Australian National Team and there was a buzz about her arrival. But as the season went on, she saw fewer minutes. After the 4-0 loss to the Thorns in Portland on July 6th, head coach Laura Harvey made changes around selection, and Katrina only had three starts for the remainder of the year, though she regularly made the 18.
In some ways, Gorry is a victim of circumstance. The Utah Royals’ midfield is very deep. Gunny Jónsdóttir played every minute of URFC’s season, which left two midfield spots open in Harvey’s 4-3-3 formation. Canadian internationals Desiree Scott and Diana Matheson both played more minutes than Mini, with 1,810 and 1,396 minutes, respectively. The addition of Christen Press may have had a ripple effect that caused an already competitive midfield to become harder to crack. Press joined and immediately locked down a place in the attack, which meant some players were pushed into the midfield that had seen time up top.
On October 1st, the club announced that it was declining options for Alex Arlitt, Katrina Gorry, and Elise Thorsnes. It’s unclear what will be next for Gorry. She’s currently with Brisbane Roar and has played the full 90 in both of their games so far this season. As a regular for the Australia National Team, she’s very likely to feature in the 2019 FIFA World Cup. We could see her next season at another NWSL team.