2018 Player Profiles: Becca Moros

In 2018, Becca Moros was a player that showed us aggression and a straightforward mentality that isn’t seen much these days. Most players have a delicate side that is never impressive if we're going to be honest with ourselves. Moros showed us that not only does she play competitively at the right back position, but she’s not afraid to shame her peers for lack of character at moments in the game.

Playing 22 games this past season, most going the full 90, she became what was one of the most impressive backlines in the NWSL. What is even more impressive is how she went through all those games and only had one yellow card the entire season (for mocking another player).

It does not surprise me that Moros was a mainstay in the starting 11 this last year. The Utah Royals Football Club were committed to a stout defensive mentality combined with experience. For an expansion team trying to navigate the waters of an intimate league (9 teams were in the NWSL for the 2018 season), it’s easy for teams to have been figured out, but Moros was a veteran factor in a team the could not be broken through defensively very often.

If there was something to be critical about Moros is she has been caught out of position and unable to recover on occasion. When losing the ball in attack, the URFC tactics seem to leave the outside back positions exposed and isolated.

What adds more to the critical thought is the communication we saw on-field with teammates around her. Moros was often visibly agitated with nearby players with communication. There was more than one occasion where we saw Moros let a midfielder know how she really felt.

This kind of frustration is what I liked about watching Becca Moros play. It’s a raw, genuine passion, the type of agitation that drives momentum, rallies the will and wins games. It’s not perfect, but it’s exactly what a team needs.