Countdown to Kickoff: Utah Royals
- URFC Blog
- 5 days ago
- 14 min read
2026 Kickoff Countdown - Utah Royals
Do you like rooting for teams that reaaaaally struggle until right before the finish line, when a burst of speed shortens the gap between them and the playoffs? But their position was so bad to begin with that, despite all your hope, they just can't make up for their early poor performance? Crushing your hopes and dreams, but making you feel alive during the team's record-breaking unbeaten streak in September? Then I have the team for you! Here's to hoping (again) that we can capitalize on our late-season solutions and start strong this year.
Background
Head Coach: Jimmy Coenraets (1.5 years)
Jimmy Coenraets is the youngest head coach in the league at 30 years old. Prior to joining the Royals, Coenraets was head coach of OH Leuven, where he led the massive transformation of the team, turning them from the worst in the league to one of the best. You can read more about his philosophies and efforts at OH Leuven in this blog post: https://sonofgao.substack.com/p/utah-royals-hand-the-keys-over-to
As head coach of the Royals, Jimmy has consistently pushed players to be their best. He prefers a play style with a high-press and playing out of the back, pushing his 9's to force mistakes in his opponent's back line and utilizing McGlynn as an addition to the Royal's defense. He also likes supporting versatility in his players, which some have criticized as leading to inconsistency from game to game, but also provides flexibility for different play styles and redundancy for injuries.
Perhaps as a result of the Royals' difficulties since re-joining the league, Jimmy has been focusing on creating a culture of resilience, which has become a major theme of the Royals' consistent efforts to improve and compete at higher levels.
Sporting Director: Kelly Cousins (2 years)
Cousins hails from the English Women's Super League, where she was the Football Manager for Reading. She seeks high-intensity and energetic players, and works to embody a "players first" philosophy focused on women's empowerment and stability.
Captain: Paige Cronin (nee Monaghan) (2 years)
As one of the Royals with the most NWSL experience, Captain Cronin has over 100 league appearances. Paige is truly the heart of the team, and her absence was truly felt following her injury that left her out of the first third of the Utah Royals' 2025 season. Despite being an NWSL veteran and only playing about a third of the season, Paige achieved her career high of 5 goals in one season in 2025. It will be exciting to continue watching her grow in her role as captain in 2026.
Team Lore: Paige wears a pink scrunchie to every game, and does an annual Pink Scrunchie Night with giveaways for breast cancer awareness. Some of the fans have been trying to figure out a Pink Scrunchie Club remix to sing as her fight song. This was my best attempt, and I am clearly NO lyricist.
Stadium: America First Field (Ew), Sandy, Utah
Controversy aside, the Royals stadium is one of the better stadiums in the league with a capacity of about 20,000, beautiful mountain views, and great facilities. Unfortunately, however, the footage for the away viewers aims at the East side of the stadium, which is often quite empty in the summer due to the intense sun beating down on that side of the pitch. Rumored operational shifts resulting in reduced stadium capacity for the Royals games may exacerbate the on-screen emptiness.
Ownership: Miller Sports & Entertainment (<1 year)
The Miller family purchased the Utah Royals (and Real Salt Lake) just after the start of the 2025 season. The new ownership group is working to build the Utah Royals brand and has made some investments aimed at strengthening the team. These changes include hiring Jason Kreis as the President of Soccer Operations, bringing on local businesses as part of the ownership group, partnering with SME Industries (a huge steel manufacturer in the US?), and hiring Harvey Bussell to serve as Head of Recruitment (formerly in this role at ManU).
Additionally, the Millers plan to invest in a $50 million renovation of the stadium (which does have fans concerned about increased costs) and hope to build a sports and entertainment mixed-use district surrounding the stadium to improve matchday experience. Urbanism nerd alert: This is something that would greatly benefit the area. The stadium is 5 minutes from a freeway entrance/exit and a light rail (TRAX) stop. Unfortunately, the walk from the TRAX stop to the stadium forces you to weave around a massive shopping structure/movie theater parking lot, cross at a poorly-located intersection, and generally takes at least 20 minutes to get to the stadium gate. Mixed-use development with some plazas, food and drink options (the only option was a Joe's Crab Shack that closed a looong time ago), and other "pre-game" festivities would be amazing. If the Millers work on something even half as good as their Power District (MLB expansion) plans, it would be a massive improvement.
Mascot: Cleo the Lioness
Oof. Cleo is friendly, though, and often comes to try to "steal" a beer and say Hi at our tailgates.
Kits:
While there are some mixed reviews, fans across the league have loved the Royals' second and third kits. The major issue here is the front-of-jersey sponsor. From what I've seen form other posters in this sub (meaning: don't quote me on this), America First Credit Union is just a normal, almost 100-year-old credit union with a REALLY problematic name.
Primary - The Ascent
Secondary - The Great Salt Lake Kit
Third - The Swarm
Keeper Kit: Pretty in Pink (unofficial name, provided by me)
Supporter's Group: The Throne
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/throne.urfc/?hl=en
Fun fact: They held a design contest for the merch this year, and my partner won!
Subreddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/UtahRoyalsFC/
News and Commentary:
Royal Riot Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@RoyalRiotPodcast
KSL News (Royals and Real Salt Lake): https://www.ksl.com/sports/real-salt-lake
Schedule:
First game of the season is an away game against Kansas City. Watch on ION.
History
NWSL Championship: None
NWSL Shield: None
NWSL Challenge Cup: None
2025 Season Review (12th):
Hot off a great run at the end of their 2024 season (11th), fans hoped the Utah Royals would continue to perform and start off strong in 2025. Well. That didn't happen. For the second year in a row, Utah performed abysmally in the first half of the season before turning things around for a solid run in the second half.
If the first half of the Royals' 2025 could be summed up with one word it would be this: injuries.
Here are some of the more notable injuries last year:
Cloe Lacasse: On the SEI list at the end of 2024 and didn't rejoin until August 2025.
Alex Loera: Was traded to the Royals prior to the 2025 season and joined with an SEI from 2024. She was removed from the SEI list, and was subbed on in the 84th minute of the notable match against Angel City on May 9. Unfortunately, she suffered another ACL injury in the same knee and was placed back on the SEI list before playing another minute for the Royals.
Tatumn Milazzo: Was traded to the Royals prior to the 2025 season, but was injured in pre-season training (ACL), and was on the SEI list for the entirety of the 2025 season.
Kaleigh Riehl: Missed the first 1/3 of the season due to a lower leg injury.
Paige Cronin: Suffered a lower leg injury during the season opener and was not available for reliable minutes until the second half of the season.
Almost all of these players were certain starters for the Royals, and with limited depth, the team struggled to adjust and adapt. From March to the Summer Break, the Utah Royals won 1 game, lost 10 games, and drew 2 games (1-10-2). The record for the second half of the season was much improved: 5-3-5.
End of Season Preferred Starting Lineups and Overall Summaries
Keeper: Mandy McGlynn
With 86 saves (one of the top in the league), 1 keeper assist, a career-high of 11 saves resulting in a 2-1 victory over Portland, and a late-season 5-game shutout streak, McGlynn had a strong season overall. She had a few big misses with her back-line distribution, leading to high-risk turnovers in the first half of the season, but she played more conservatively in the 2nd half, making smarter decisions. It should also be noted that backup keeper Mia Justus played incredibly well when McGlynn was out on injury, and she won Save of the Week during one of those matches. Announcers had fun with this one, with JP Dellcamera getting to say "Into the arms of Justus!" in her start against Orlando.
Defense:
2025 Preferred Lineup: Janni Thomsen (right back), Kate Del Fava (center back), Kayleigh Riehl (center back), and Nuria Rabano (left back)
Getting Riehl back in the starting lineup made a major difference for the 2nd half of the Royals' 2025 season. Additionally, although Janni and Nuria definitely struggled in the first half of the season, their performances following the summer break improved significantly. With 27 goals conceded in the first half of the season (1.8 per game), the Royal's back line was the worst in the league. It should also be noted that Ana Tejada was re-appointed to the back line in the beginning of the season following Riehl's injury. While probably our best option for that position, Tejada is slow, and her strengths lie in high pass accuracy and successfully moving balls up the pitch. Last, Kate Del Fava (KDF), is the obvious standout for the Royals' defensive side. As iron woman two years in a row, KDF provides reliability and stability. With high pass accuracy and interceptions, KDF is one of the most reliable centerbacks in the league.
Midfield:
2025 Preferred Lineup: Ana Tejada (center defensive mid), Claudia Zornoza (center mid), Mina Tanaka (center attacking mid)
Perhaps the biggest story about the Royals' midfield this year was the loss of Ally Sentnor to Kansas City during the summer break. Sentnor, considered a bright spot on a team plagued with injuries and filled with low-NWSL-experience internationals, was the #1 2024 Draft pick, 2024 Young Female Player of the Year, and earned her first senior USWNT cap following her first year of league play. Most Royals fans thought this loss would be the final nail in the coffin on our 2025 season. Much to everyone's surprise, however, the team did even better. As mentioned previously, this is likely because of injury returns, most notably Kayleigh Riehl, but there is also something to be said for the tactical shift forced by Ally's departure.
Previously, Utah's style was mostly just "get the ball to Ally and see what she can do," but once she left, everyone had to step up, resulting in greater commitment from other players and more difficulty defending the many new offensive options the Royals included in playmaking. This approach and tactical change is highlighted by the Royals' 2026 third kit: The Swarm. The Royals are not a team with one star, but they are a hive, working together to take home the crown.
The other big story here is Mina Tanaka, who was the goal leader for Utah's 2025 with 6 goals. I mean.. seriously. Tanaka was also the 2025 SheBelieves Cup MVP for Japan (4 goals, 3 assists, in 3 games). With a contract set to expire at the end of last year, Utah fans found significant relief when Mina and the club announced a contract extension, keeping her in Utah through the 2028 season. In Mina's social media announcement, she said she wanted to stick around and bring a championship trophy to Utah.
Forwards:
2025 Preferred Lineup: Cloe Lacasse (right wing), Lara Prasnikar (center attacker/striker) Paige Cronin (left wing)
Utah's forwards struggled in the first half of the season. With Lacasse and Monaghan out, the team was often stuck starting it's 2nd stringers (Mozingo, St Georges). The rest of the front line was heavily rotated as Coenraets tried to nail down the best position for each player. Lacasse returned to full fitness late in the season, with her first start coming September 6th and without seeing a full 90 minutes all season. Her fitness continues to improve, though, and she was called up to the Canada WNT for the 2026 SheBelieves Cup. With 4 goals in 9 matches in 2024, Lacasse is hoped to put up some much-needed goals in 2026. Additionally, while Paige Cronin was sometimes moved into a defensive position, she is one of the team's best attackers, with 5 goals and 2 assists in 2025. Also, on September 14th, Cronin became the 4th player in Royal's history to score in 3 consecutive matches (joining Christen Press, Amy Rodriguez, and Brecken Mozingo).
Player Movement
Welcome to the Japan Royals!
Date | Player Out | Position | New Club | Notes |
11/14/25 | Lauren Flynn | D | Dallas Trinity (USL) | Looking for consistent minutes for development |
9/4/25 | Macey Fraser | M | Wellington Phoenix (NZ) | Fraser experienced mental health difficulties, leading her to take a mental break shortly after re-signing with the Wellington Phoenix. She had low playing time with the Royals |
8/1/25 | Ally Sentnor | M | Kansas City (U.S.) | Traded for a record-breaking transfer fee and was heavily pursued by Kansas City |
11/2/25 | Claudia Zornoza | M | Retired | Utah denied their club option to extend Zornoza's contract into 2026, and she announced her retirement shortly after |
11/14/25 | Madison Pogarch | D | Hammarby (SWE) | Po was a fan favorite, and we will miss her very much! But she simply wasn't performing at the level we need |
11/14/25 | Dana Foederer | M | Galatasaray (TUR) | With declining playing time and limited success in her role, Dana left at when her contract expired at the end of 2025 |
11/2/25 | Imani Dorsey | D | Retired | Imani ended her professional soccer career and is now pursuing environmental sustainability work at her Alma Mater Duke |
12/15/25 | Aisha Solorzano | F | Juarez (MX) | Solorzano was unable to perform in the NWSL, netting only one goal in her tenure, leading to mutual termination of her contract |
11/14/25 | Bianca St-Georges | F | Boston Legacy (U.S.) | With diminishing playing time, St-Georges signed with Boston following the natural expiration of her contract with Utah |
Date | Player In | Position | Previous Club | Notes |
12/2/26 | Madison Hammond | M | Angel City (U.S.) | 2-year contract |
12/2/26 | Miyabi Moriya | D | Angel City (U.S.) | 1-year contract |
12/31/26 | Courtney Brown | F | Washington Spirit (U.S.) | 1-year contract |
1/12/26 | Narumi Miura | M | Washington Spirit (U.S.) | $180K in transfer funds & 1-year extension |
1/29/26 | Dayana Pierre-Louis | M | Lens (FRA) | 3-year contract |
2/5/26 | Kameron Simmonds | D | Florida St. (NCAA) | 2-year contract |
N/A | Kiana Placios | F | Club America (MEX) | (RUMOR) 3-year contract |
Roster
Number | Name | Position | Contract Status |
1 | Mandy McGlynn | GK | Signed through 2029 |
2 | Tatumn Milazzo | D | Signed through 2026 |
4 | Paige Cronin | F | Signed through 2027 |
5 | Cece Delzer | F | Signed through 2026 |
7 | Janni Thomsen | D | Signed through 2026+ |
8 | Kate Del Fava | D | Signed through 2027 |
9 | Lara Prasnikar | F | Signed through 2027 |
11 | Mina Tanaka | F | Signed through 2028 |
12 | Alex Loera | M | Signed through 2027 |
13 | Brecken Mozingo | F | Signed through 2026 |
14 | Nuria Rabano | D | Signed through 2027+ |
17 | Ana Tejada | M | Signed through 2026+ |
18 | Kayleigh Riehl | D | Signed through 2026 |
19 | KK Ream | F | Signed through 2027 |
20 | Aria Nagai | M | Signed through 2026 |
22 | Miyabi Moriya | D | Signed through 2026 |
23 | Mia Justus | GK | Signed through 2027 |
24 | Cloe Lacasse | F | Signed through 2026 |
77 | DeAria Jackson | GK | Signed through 2026 |
99 | Madison Hammond | M | Signed through 2027 |
10 | Narumi Miura | M | Signed through 2027+ |
16 | Courtney Brown | F | Signed through 2026 |
15 | Dayana Pierre-Louis | M | Signed through 2028+ |
6 | Kameron Simmonds | D | Signed through 2027 |
21 | Kiana Palacios | F | Signed through 2028 |
Predicted Preferred Gameday XI
This one is a bit tricky with all the roster movement in the defense and midfield, but I've decided to go with the starters from the end of last season (with the addition of Narumi to cover for Zornoza's departure - I would have done Nagai and Tejada, but they almost never played together in the midfield, indicating they fit too similar of roles to be played together). Coenraets nailed down this starting XI at the end of last season, and with all of the issues in the first halves of the Royals' 2024 and 2025 seasons, I wouldn't be surprised if the coaching staff decided to stick with what they know works while transitioning some new players into the lineup here and there as they adjust to the team. There are some notable challengers to this starting XI.
First, the Thomsen's right back spot is in jeopardy. With the addition of Miyabi Moriya and Tatumn Milazzo coming off the SEI list early in the season (if not before), the right back role has stiff competition. Milazzo also has the ability to play fullback, but with Riehl's return bringing such a positive change, it's more likely that Milazzo will be providing more of a sub role for the first part of the season.
The midfield is also a minefield for trying to predict the starters. While I've given Tejada, Narumi, and Tanaka the starting roles for now, things can very well change once Loera is healthy and Pierre-Louis gets up to speed with the NWSL. Once up to speed, and Loera could compete with Hammond and the current starters for the starting spots. Tanaka's flexibility makes this even more possible, as she can move into the 9 role to alternate with Prasnikar and free up more spots in the middle of the field.
Overall, this is a good problem to have. While there are no clear star signings that immediately move a new player into a starter role, 2026 is likely to see some real competition for the starting spots all over the pitch. It is also a positive that we have redundancy! Subs that can come in with fresh legs and backups for injuries are going to be huge if last season is any predictor of where we're headed (fingers-crossed that it's NOT).
Likely Top Bench/Subs
Player | Position |
Miyabi Moriya | D |
Tatumn Milazzo | D |
Alex Loera | M |
Dayana Pierre-Louis | M |
Madison Hammond | M |
Cece Delzer | F |
Something to Prove
Brecken Mozingo - With a contract expiring at the end of this year, Mozingo's got to prove her worth to the Utah Royals this year. She's incredibly talented, and has shown that she can perform in high-intensity games. With a string of 3 goals in 3 games and virtually no other contributions last year, Mozingo's inconsistency leaves fans (and likely the club) wondering where she's heading. Mozingo really has the capabilities to be an amazing player.
Janni Thomsen - Janni earned herself a starting spot as right back in 2026, but it's unclear how she'll fit into the lineup with some of the recent additions to the team (Miyabi and Tatumn both do well in this spot). Additionally, Utah will have the chance to exercise their club option to extend her contract this year, meaning she's got a short timeframe to show her worth either as a continued starter or as a super sub.
Lara Prasnikar - With the signing of Kiana Palacios, Lara will likely be competing for the number 9 spot. With bad luck from previous Utah Royals hustlers (Hannah Betfort and Aisha Solorzano), Prasnikar presents a different style of attack, with less emphasis on wearing/running down the defense and more on tactical passing. With more movement in the midfield potentially pushing Mina up to the 9 and the rumored signing of Palacios, Prasnikar will need to show that her style works to convert chances to goals to keep her starting spot.
Ana Tejada - Tejada is another Royals player with a club option coming up in 2026. With so many new faces in the midfield, she's really going to need to push herself to improve. As a defensive liability giving up many yellow cards and a red card last season, Tejada will need to tighten up her footwork and make fewer mistakes. If she can do that, her play-making and passing can shine.
Major Injuries
Utah only has two players on the current SEI list: Tatumn Milazzo and Alex Loera. Tatumn's return is more imminent, but hopefully Loera will be healed up and ready to go early in the season.
2026 Preview
Realistic Best Case Scenario: 4th-6th
I've definitely lowered my expectations since the beginning of the 2025 season, and we are in an arguably better position this year. With actual depth across most of our positions, we've hopefully insured ourselves against potential injuries. That being said, we still don't have any obvious stand-out stars that can be pointed to as a massive goal producer/stopper. But maybe the team doesn't need that if they're able to work together to create a solid, coordinated, and effective squad.
Realistic Worst Case Scenario: 13th-16th
Well, we've seen this happen before. With a lot of like for like transfers in and out, the Royals very well could be headed for the bottom of the table once again. Maybe we really have been cursed and this season will have another first half that's so bad no summer break changes could dig us out. It's definitely possible that we'll see another rough season, but the team is very committed to making the playoffs this year.
Realistic Most Probably Scenario: 8th
With two new teams entering the league, Utah ending up right at the bottom of the top half isn't very far-fetched. While the end of last season saw the club-record 8-match unbeaten streak, it's unclear how that will translate into the full 2026 season. Utah is building a strong foundation, and while many of the experiments are hopefully winding down, it's unclear if or how the roster changes will build upon the existing framework to create a more formidable team. That being said, many other teams are also struggling and had worse off-seasons than we did, so here's to hoping we are juuuust good enough to squeak into the last playoff spot.
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