Utah Royals Match Recap: Bay FC (5/10)

Match Overview

Match Score: Utah 0 - Bay 0

Was it just me, or was this one difficult to watch? Perhaps it was the glimmer of hope of a 1st place spot in the NWSL standings that made this match so frustrating, but I'm going to do my best to showcase some of the highlights from last Sunday.

First, it can't be ignored that this was Utah's 3rd game in 9 days. Their midweek game against Houston last Wednesday was the only Wednesday game last week, and one could claim Houston's 4-1 loss against Denver was at least partially driven by the same exhaustion plaguing Utah. Similar to Houston, Utah had fewer shots, worse passing accuracy, and overall fewer touches than their competitors last weekend.

That being said, the Royals 0-0 draw continued both their clean sheet streak and undefeated streak. And that was no small feat against the well-rested Bay FC side.

Royal Buzz Vibe Check

• Utah Royals Players:

• The NWSL Scheduling Team:

• Narumi ✨:

Starting XI

With so many games last week, it may come as a bit of a surprise that the starting XI was almost identical to the previous game against Houston, but some early subs were Coach Jimmy's solution to the team's ongoing depth predicament. After her incredible game against Houston, Miyabi was given a rest this match. Additionally, Delzer moved over to the right forward spot while Palacios came back in at the 9.

Substitutions

Minute	In	Out
46'	Tatumn Milazzo	Janni Thomsen
61'	Paige Cronin	Kiana Palacios
75'	Aria Nagai	Narumi Miura
75'	Alexa Spaanstra	Cloe Lacasse
88'	Brecken Mozingo	Cece Delzer

An important thing to note here is Janni's early departure from the match. For those who missed the announcement, Janni and her partner, former professional footballer Elise Thorsnes are expecting! Janni will be going on parental leave starting in June, so she'll be splitting her minutes in the next few matches with Milazzo, so she's ready to take up the right winger spot later this season.

Match Analysis

Overall Flow

The Royals struggled in the first half last week. Bay's high press and intensity let them easily interrupt passing lanes, forcing turnovers throughout the midfield. Each time one of our players got the ball in the middle of the pitch, they were immediately swarmed by Bay, leading to rushed passes and dispossessions.

Match Flow from FOTMOB

Game Highlights

The best chance the Royals had in the first half came off a wide header from Delzer. Lacasse chased down a messy ball following a collision with Narumi and a couple of Bay players, finding herself on the left wing, and leaving Narumi open to place a perfectly-timed cross to Delzer. Delzer was able to slot in just behind Bay defender Denton to connect with the ball right at the top of the 6-yard box, but the ball went wide, leaving the score line 0-0.

The most beautiful defensive move in the match also came in the first half, with Narumi stepping up to block a shot from Kundananji after she sliced through our defensive line. Rachel Kundananji has been a consistently strong attacking presence for Bay since she joined the team in 2024, but the Royals defense stepped up the plate, restricting her offensive contributions to .05 xG, 1 cross, and 1 shot. I mean seriously, Narumi's block looked soooo smooth!

Utah had more scoring chances in the second half, starting with a long ball from McGlynn straight to Palacios, who hit the ball strong and hard just wide of the goal. This would have been Mandy's second keeper-assist for the Royals, following her excellent assist to Bianca St-Georges early in the 2025 season. I've included the 2025 clip below as a reminder!

Shot Attempts

There were only three shots on target this entire match, with the first one coming from a break-away run from Cronin in the 66th minute. Despite this, Utah still had 1.2 xG compared to Bay's .27, highlighting how good the few chances we had really were. Utah was clearly the bigger offensive threat this match, which is surprising considering most of our offensive plays came in the 2nd half, when we only had 55% passing accuracy, fewer touches than Bay, and just 4 accurate long balls (as opposed to 16 for Bay). This is really a testament to Bay's strong defensive performance.

Shot Map from FOTMOB

xG from FOTMOB

Player Highlights

Narumi Miura (FOTMOB Rating 7.0)

Narumi had one of Utah's best performances last week with strong positionality on both sides of the pitch. Not only did she have a near-assist and an incredible block, but Narumi was able to work in tight spaces to win duels and maintain possession for the Utah side.

Paige Cronin (FOTMOB Rating 6.2)

The energy on the pitch completely changed once Paige was subbed in last week. Captain Cronin can always be relied on to up the momentum and empower her teammates to recommit themselves to the match. With two shots on target (100% of Utah's such shots), Paige tested Bay's back line and created some of the strongest chances against them on Sunday.

Next Match

The Royals take on Racing Louisville at home this Sunday at 6:00 PM. The Throne will be hosting their matchday potluck starting at 4:30 in the north parking lot (just of 90th South).

Racing Louisville Analytical Overview

Don't sleep on Louisville. After a sluggish start to the season (just one win in their first seven matches) Racing showed up last Friday and absolutely stunned first-place Portland 3-1 at home, looking every bit like the team that earned Bez Yanez Coach of the Year in 2025. The high press, Racing's hallmark en route to the club's first-ever playoff appearance last season, was back at full-throttle.

The danger players are real: Katie O'Kane (University of Utah alum) scored a first-career brace against Portland (in only her second year of professional soccer), and Emma Sears came off the bench to seal it in stoppage time. Sears was the top American scorer in the entire NWSL last season with 10 goals in her sophomore year and is still very much a threat. Meanwhile, Louisville also remains strong on set pieces. Sound familiar? This could be a battle of the set piece specialists.

What to Watch For

This is a fascinating tactical clash. Both teams press high, both teams love a set piece, and both teams have been at their best when they're energized and physical. The difference right now? Utah is playing with a 468-minute shutout streak and the confidence of a team that knows they're good. Louisville is playing with the desperation of a team that is trying to rediscover their identity. That's a combustible mix.

The key matchup is Louisville's press against Utah's ability to play out from the back. Racing's press was the story against Portland, and if it's firing again on Sunday, Del Fava, Riehl, and McGlynn will be tested.

Another thing to worry about is the general level of physicality of these two teams. Both are in the top 5 for yellow cards this season, and the ref may need to step in to keep the game from getting out of hand. My message to fans who will be joining me in the stands on Sunday: let's remember the refs are just doing their best. While it's easy to point fingers, we should keep in mind that in 2025 Utah was first in the league for fouls and yellows and third for red cards. Unfortunately, we're not far behind this year: 3rd in fouls and 2nd for yellow cards. Don't get me wrong, I love watching the Royal's assertiveness, but I'd like us to clean up our tackles to reduce injury risk moving forward.

Will We Win?

My incorrect claim of an absolute win against Bay leaves me a little hesitant to be so bold this week, but let's be honest. Louisville just had a banger of a match, but who's to say that wasn't just a blip? A one-off success? The Royals are home, rested, and on a tear. I like us. And I think we've got it this week!