Utah Royals FC plan to use the Summer Cup — and national team replacement players — as an advantage

Sofia Huerta headed home the match-winner in the 77th minute as Seattle took all three points from its Summer Cup opener Friday night against a Utah side that used all 3 national team replacements.

Utah Royals interim head coach Jimmy Coenraets really is using the time between the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup and the end of the league’s Olympic break like a “second preseason.”

That includes running a group that was missing Olympians Macey Fraser (New Zealand), Ife Onumonu (Nigeria) and Mina Tanaka (Japan) — as well as U.S. youth international Ally Sentnor for the most of the week — through a rigorous week of training as the club prepared for back-to-back fixtures at Seattle Reign FC (with only one that would count in league play and the other in the standings of the interleague tournament).

For nearly 80 minutes, the two matches looked similar despite nine lineup changes in back-to-back matches, including the Royal debut of goalkeeper Cristina Roque and Ana Tejada playing defensive midfield for a half.

Except for the final 15 minutes, perhaps.

Sofia Huerta headed home the match-winner in the 77th minute as Seattle took all three points from its Summer Cup opener Friday night against Utah at Lumen Field in Seattle.

But for moments, the team relying on a mixed group and a trio of national team replacement players in former BYU standout Ellie Boren, UC Riverside defender Darielle O’Brien and UC Santa Barbara midfielder Shaelan Murison looked awfully similar to the one that took a point off the Reign via 1-1 draw before the Olympic break.

“I know Ellie Boren really well after playing with her at BYU; she’s awesome, so much fun,” said Royals forward Cameron Tucker, the former Lone Peak High star who scored Utah’s equalizing goal in first-half stoppage time. “It’s been awesome to see her in this environment. She deserves it, along with the other two. Getting to know them, they are sweet girls who brought a lot of spark and energy into our locker room.

“I know they were all so nervous, and they all played so well, never playing at this level before but coming in and doing exactly what we needed them to do. I’m just really excited for them and excited to see what they can do moving forward.”

Olivia Athens gave the Reign the lead in the first half, converting a 43rd-minute penalty after Dana Foederer was called for a foul on the edge of the area to put Seattle up, 1-0.

But Tucker didn’t sit on the deficit for long. The former BYU striker waited patiently on the back post as fellow Jen Rockwood U. alum Brecken Mozingo dribbled into the area for a chance at goal in the fourth minute of first-half stoppage time.

Mozingo found Paiga Monaghan and backed off, but Monaghan’s attempt was dispossessed, Mozingo unleashed a crack of her own that caromed off the defense, and Tucker was in the perfect spot to follow-up from the back post.

Tucker admitted she “wasn’t sure exactly what happened” after blacking out before putting the ball away. But she’s grateful for muscle memory after scoring her second goal of the season.

“Brecken was great on the ball, we were moving well up the field, and I just found myself in the right place at the right time,” Tucker recalled. “It was a great team build up, and it was an easy finish for me. That was fun.”

Huerta gave the Reign a 2-1 lead in the 77th minute, heading home a well-placed cross from former Royals 1.0 forward Tziarra King to lift Seattle ahead.

With just over a dozen healthy players available at one point in the week of training, Utah used all three of its national team replacement players to an NWSL debut from the 85th minute on before the trio could even take a proper head shot with their professional team.

“I think that the club did it’s work, to be honest; there wasn’t a day this week where we were less than 18 players on training. You need players in, you need bodies, and looking at the players that we brought in today — I think they did a good job,” Coenraets said. “Boren came on the pitch and really wanted to contribute in every single phase of the game. That’s what we want them to do, and we want to reward them for training sessions. They’re just not here to fill the pitch; they’re here to contribute, they’re here to compete. We just really want to compete.

“I think looking at the week we had, and more players recovering next wee, I really can’t complete about the numbers or the quality of players we have on training.”