Utah Royals Match Recap: Denver Summit (5/23)
- URFC Blog
- 5 hours ago
- 7 min read
Match Overview
The Utah Royals are officially on TOP baby! Utah's hard-fought win against Denver last Saturday gave them the points they needed to make it through matchweek 9 at the top of the NWSL table for the first time in Royals 2.0 history. With just one match left until the summer break, Utah has a chance to go into the break with more points than they had in the entirety of their 2024 and 2025 seasons. Right now, Utah sits at 23 points, and they had 25 points in 2024 and 2025.
While this match wasn't their best, they did what they needed to get the win. Denver had a better game, but Utah was able to keep Denver out of their box, reducing their scoring options and cleanly clearing the ball on offensive challenges. Also, the proactive press from Lacasse early in the game paved the way for Palacios' first NWSL goal, and even after conceding late in the first half, the Royals kept fighting through the match to crawl back into the lead.
Royal Buzz Vibe Check
Now Presenting: the First Place Utah ROYALS!
Maybe Jimmy was right: it didn't need to be pretty. I wanted a pretty win, but the crowd was pleased!
Starting XI
Only one difference here: Delzer in for Cronin at the right forward spot. Following Cronin's injury, this would be the anticipated lineup. While Delzer didn't have a remarkable game this match, she's been having one of the best seasons of her career this year.
Substitutes
Minute | In | Out |
73' | Lara Prasnikar | Kiana Palacios |
73' | Alexa Spaanstra | Cece Delzer |
87' | Tatumn Milazzo | Nuria Rabano |
Not a lot of subs this week, perhaps in an attempt to keep shape and avoid disrupting flow in a tumultuous second half against Denver.
Match Analysis
Overall Flow
This was a difficult game for Utah. The Royals struggled to connect passes, manage the pace of the game, and control the ball throughout the pitch. We may not have won on style, xG, or possession, but we did win on game management and mindset.
Despite Denver's early dominance, Utah continued to play their own game, refusing to sit back and let the Summit take full control. The Royals were able to pick up an early goal by continuing to press and pursue the play in critical moments. While neither team had clear control of the match, they both stayed in it, and for Utah that meant pressing, disrupting, blocking, and persisting.
Pressing
As already mentioned, this is truly what set Palacios up to score her absolute stunner in the 21st minute. After Denver's goal, Utah continued to push the press, leading to a tactical move from Lacasse on the edge of their opponent's box, resulting in a penalty kick and handing Tanaka the game-winning goal on a platter.
The press wasn't all-good, however, and Utah would benefit from being more strategic in deciding when they play the press. Denver's lone goal this match came from a quick counter-press following a poor throw-in from the Utah side. The Royal's defensive line was incredibly high, and Denver was able to cut through the pitch with just three line-breaking passes prior to the assist out wide from Sheehan to Yazmeen Ryan, who was poorly covered by a scrambling Utah defense.
Disrupting
Utah's passing accuracy wasn't great this week, but Denver's wasn't much better. Despite having more passes and touches throughout the pitch, Denver's play was choppy and continuously broken up by the Royals' persistent touches on the ball. This was most noticeable on our defensive end, where Denver was only able to complete their crosses with 24% accuracy (compared to Utah's 56%). The Royals also won significantly more aerial duels at 71%.
Blocking
Denver is a team that likes to play centrally, and Utah did a great job shutting down the Summit's central runs. The Royals had a whopping 37 clearances, significantly limiting Denver's ability to take quality shots at short range. Utah's defensive strengths are truly to be admired, and since our defensive line is shored up with the dramatic improvements of Rabano and Thomsen (once they adjusted to the league) and recent additions of Miyabi and a healthy Milazzo, the team is tied for 2nd-lowest goals against (8) this year.
Persisting
Multiple times this year, we've seen the Royals' newfound ability to be scored against and not completely lose their cool. Some noticeable Utah losses last year include a 4-1 demolition by Seattle and two 3-0 shutouts (Gotham and Kansas City), but so far this year the Royals haven't lost by more than 1 goal. We've all been calling this team Royals 2.0, but I think it may be time to retire that moniker and start using Royals 3.0. Royals 3.0, as opposed to 2.0, has the resilience and capacity to keep cool and stay persistent, refusing to let mistakes or strong opponents get in their heads.
Goals ⚽⚽
Kiana Palacios (21')
She did it! We've all been waiting for this moment. We know Palacios can score: she's Club America Feminil's all-time leading goal-scorer with 90 career goals! And it's so exciting to see her start to score with the Royals! Hopefully this is just the beginning of a prolific career in Utah. Fun note from the team's player spotlight on Super Ki: "She also became the eighth different Utah player to score this year, highlighting the balance and depth within Jimmy Coenraets’ attack."
Mina Tanaka (72')
Another excellent penalty kick from Mina! This ball was expertly-placed, and even though Summit Keeper Abby Smith was able to get a touch on the ball, it was too fast and too low for her to block outright. According to some research from Attacking Third, Tanaka has now contributed to the winning goal in 5 of Utah's 7 wins this year. Mina Tanaka is absolutely, hands-down a central piece of Utah's success and identity this year, and fans should be ecstatic that she decided to extend her contract through 2028 last year.
Player Highlights
Cloe Lacasse (FOTMOB Rating 8.2)
Cloe Lacasse was a pivotal player this match, with her contributions leading to both of Utah's goals. Some have noticed that Lacasse may not be back to her full fitness since her ACL injury in October 2024, and Saturday's game against Denver marked just her 4th full, 90-minute match since her return to the pitch last August. Despite fewer minutes this year, Lacasse has still scored 3 goals and had 3 assists so far, indicating that she definitely hasn't lost her touch! With .3 goals per 90 minutes, we can expect to see even more goals from Lacasse as she becomes 90-minutes fit.
Kate Del Fava (FOTMOB Rating 7.8)
Kate, Utah's Iron Woman, had another incredible game - no news there! Kate has officially played in 109 consecutive matches, the second-longest streak in the history of the league. She had some amazing defensive contributions against the Summit, including a "last-man" tackle, all but surely preventing another goal for Denver. KDF also had 6 clearances, 4 recoveries, and won 5/6 duels, making her the backbone of Utah's rock solid defense.
Homework for Next Week
Honestly? None! The Utah Royals have been playing better than ever, and they have earned their place. With the last game before the summer break coming up, the players have already done the work, and no matter the outcome this weekend they can be proud of themselves for their performance thus far. The only assignment I would give them, if any, would be to just have fun and do their best!
Next Match
The Royals take on Portland Thorns at Providence Park this Saturday at 2:00 PM. The Throne will be hosting their watch party at Paxton Pub - maybe I'll see you there!
Portland Thorns Analytical Overview
If Utah wants to go into the summer break at the top of the table, they'll have to earn it the hard way. Nine matches into the season, Portland sits second in the NWSL at 19 points on a 6-1-2 record, making this a legitimate first vs. second clash. Under new head coach Robert Vilahamn, the Thorns' defense has looked more compact than in previous years, and their attack has been elevated by Jessie Fleming stepping into the Sam Coffey void and Olivia Moultrie finding yet another level in attacking midfield.
The team moves like a coordinated block across the pitch: disciplined, physical, and relentless in their pressing, surrounding possession players with multiple assets at once. Sophia Wilson leads the attack with four goals since returning from maternity leave, and Moultrie and Turner are also tied as the team's top scorers with four goals each, making Portland one of the most genuinely distributed attacking threats in the league.
Their one real vulnerability? When their press doesn't fire, everything unravels. Against Louisville, Portland's line of confrontation barely reached the midfield stripe, producing just two turnovers from roughly 62 press attempts, and they lost 3-1. Portland is also coming off another 3-1 loss against Kansas City, but both of those matches were away, and Portland looks like a completely different team at home, where they have 3 wins, 6 goals, 0 losses, and 0 goals conceded this year.
What to Watch For
This is the biggest matchup (on paper) the Royals have faced all season. Both teams press, both teams are compact defensively, and both teams have scoring depth. The difference is Providence Park, where Portland averages over 19,000 fans at home, and that atmosphere is genuinely one of the loudest in women's soccer. Utah will also need to weather the early storm, as Portland tends to score early.
The key battle here is Moultrie vs. KDF and Tejada in the midfield (if Moultrie is healthy!). Moultrie has been exceptional in the attacking mid role. She's the player who unlocks Portland's attack when everything else is stalled. If KDF can track her runs and Tejada can win the physical midfield battle against Fleming, Utah has a real chance to disrupt the Thorns' engine before it gets going. Tanaka and Miura, meanwhile, should be ready to punish Portland on the counter the moment the Thorns push numbers forward, which, given their aggressive style, they will. But we also know from Utah's last match against Denver that the Royals press throughout the pitch, and forcing these turnovers in Portland's defensive third will be key to destabilizing their structure.
Will We Win?
Road match, hostile crowd, second-place opponent. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous. But Portland's been a bit shaky lately, and the Royals are just continuing to rise. I think we steal a point, maybe three. Either way, what a way to go into the break! 👑
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