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Utah Royals lose regular-season finale, settling their playoff matchup

Royals fall to Gotham FC and will visit San Diego for an NWSL quarterfinal on Friday night

(The Athletic) Coach Jimmy Coenraets' Utah Royals are headed for an NWSL playoff quarterfinal at San Diego on Friday.

(The Athletic) Coach Jimmy Coenraets' Utah Royals are headed for an NWSL playoff quarterfinal at San Diego on Friday.

First-place Gotham FC beat the Utah Royals 2-0 in an NWSL regular-season finale on Sunday in Harrison, New Jersey, leaving the Royals in seventh place.

Utah, which clinched a playoff spot last week, will travel to face the San Diego Wave in a quarterfinal on Friday (8 p.m. MT, Prime Video).

The Wave finished in second place after beating Bay FC 1-0 on Sunday — the league’s so-called Decision Day. San Diego rolls into the playoffs on a seven-game unbeaten streak (with six wins), while the Royals head into the postseason on a four-game winless streak (two losses, two ties).

San Diego beat Utah in both of their matchups this season, 2-1 on March 22 and 4-2 on Aug. 21.

Gotham’s Guro Reiten scored in eighth minute, and Jaedyn Shaw scored in the 80th minute against Utah on Sunday.

The Royals nearly tied the game after Gotham’s first goal, when Nuria Rábano whipped in a cross that found an open Miyabi at the back post, but the Japanese international’s volley was blocked by Gotham goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger.

Gotham had an 8-6 advantage in shots, including a 3-2 edge in shots on goal.

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