URFC vs. Orlando, Player of the Match: Gunnhildur Jonsdottir

Gunny made Utah Royals Football Club history scoring the first goal for NWSL’s newest club in the opening 5 minutes. It was a beautiful strike as well coming off an impeccable cross from the Canadian International Diana Matheson. Gunny, the energizer bunny seemed to never stop running, moving up and down the pitch while putting pressure on the Orlando backline. She also proved a machine-like level of durability and toughness as well, getting sent to the grass multiple times, each time she got back up and quickly ran it off - albeit limping at first in one instance. It would be of no surprise to quickly see the Icelander become a fan favorite.

Honorable Mentions

Abby Smith - It’s weird for a Utah team to play a game of soccer and not have a Nick Rimando-esque level of comfort in goal. That said Abby Smith made some great saves and guessed right on the penalty, but there was nothing she could do about Marta’s strike. Later in the game, she got in a nasty collision with Alex Morgan, but ultimately made the right choice.

Diana Matheson - Diana made that incredible cross to find Gunny in the perfect position for the strike. She also made several smart passes throughout the game.

Becky Sauerbrunn - Made some great tackles, including one on Alex Morgan in the 16th minute. You know a player cares when they sacrifice their face for the good of the team. Hard to believe the redness on her face alone wasn’t enough to convince the referee to change a clearly horrible decision. She was a tad more invisible in the second half, although still a great performance from the captain.

Coach Harvey - I mean, look at this.