Utah Royals FC Holds On For A Second Straight Win in a Five-Goal Thriller 

SANDY, Utah (Friday, September 19, 2025) – Utah Royals FC (3-11-6, 15 points, 14th NWSL) defeated Racing Louisville (7-9-5, 26 points, 10th NWSL) in a five-goal affair, highlighted by three first-half goals from the home side, including the scoring debuts of two Royals players in front of a home crowd of 8426 fans.

***\\\\\Watch / Listen to Utah Head Coach **Jimmy Coenraets, Janni Thomsen,** and **Cloe Lacasse** following a 3-2 win against Racing Louisville on Fri.,September 19, 2025\\\\\***

For tonight’s affair, Utah Royals head coach Jimmy Coenraets maintained the same starting XI that earned an important 2-0 victory against the Houston Dash last Sunday. Defensive standout Kate Del Fava celebrated her 100th NWSL appearance—and 48th with the Royals—as she and the team aimed to build on their five-game unbeaten run that has sparked new life heading into the final six matches of the season.

An early corner kick for Louisville appeared to give them the lead nine minutes in with a leaping header placed perfectly into the corner of the net, just beyond Mandy McGlynn’s reach. However, after a quick VAR review, the referee ruled an offside, nullifying the goal.

Just four minutes later, the Royals answered back and found the back of the net. Japanese midfielder Mina Tanaka produced a moment of magic to break the deadlock and put URFC in front. A failed clearance by the opposing defense allowed Tanaka to collect the ball inside the 18-yard box, where she pulled off a skill few could replicate—flicking the ball over her defender’s head before volleying it into the bottom corner for her third goal of the season.

For the second straight match, the Utah club scored within the opening 15 minutes— its seventh this season— and the second-best mark in the league. Overall, the team is 3-1-3 (W/L/D) when scoring first and 2-0-1 when doing so at home.

Louisville kept pressing to break through the Royals’ back line but were limited in its chances on goal. McGlynn made an impactful save, stopping a breakaway that could have leveled the match. The visitors’ only other real opportunity came in the 35th minute, when a powerful strike from distance rattled the crossbar, but the Royals quickly secured the rebound.

Just three minutes after hitting the woodwork, the Royals launched another dangerous attack led by Tanaka, who set up her Danish teammate Janni Thomsen for a clinical finish to make it 2-0. It was Thomsen’s first goal since joining the club, making her the 10th different scorer for the Royals this year, and Tanaka’s first assist of the season. The strike also marked the second straight match in which Utah scored twice in the opening half. With the performance, Tanaka became only the third player in URFC history to record both a goal and an assist in the same game, joining current teammate Claudia Zornoza and former Royal Christen Press.

The action-packed first half was not over yet however. In the third minute of added time, Lacasse showcased her world-class attacking ability with a powerful and precise left-footed shot into the top corner, leaving the opposing goalkeeper with no chance. The Canadian star celebrated her first goal for the club as the team closed out the half with a 3-0 lead.

Heading into the second half, the Royals’ desire to add to the score was clear, as it moved the ball quickly upfield and created attacking opportunities. Despite trailing by three goals, Louisville continued to fight and applied pressure in the final third. A quick counterattack caught the Royals’ defense off guard, but Racing was unable to convert the chance. Shortly after, Thomsen had an opportunity to add another goal, but her shot went just wide of the net.

In the 68th minute, the visiting team finally got on the board. Louisville capitalized on space left by the Royals’ back line, and from a goal kick, Sarah Weaber collected the ball in the final third and passed to Emma Sears in the box, who slotted it past McGlynn to pull one back.

Momentum began to shift in favor of Louisville at this stage of the match. The team controlled possession more and built attacks through the midfield. The sustained pressure on the Royals’ back line led to increased tension between the players and more fouls being called. In the 81st minute, the Kentucky side earned a free kick just outside the Royals’ box. Captain Janine Sonis took advantage of the opportunity, curling a shot into the top corner to bring the score to 3-2.

In the end, the Royals held onto the lead to secure a crucial three points, marking its second straight win and third in four games, while extending its unbeaten run to six matches. Utah Royals will look to continue this form against Bay FC on the road at PayPal Park on September 27, with kickoff set for 8:00 MT.

UTA: Mina Tanaka (Unassisted) 13’: Kate Del Fava delivered a dangerous cross into the Louisville box that was poorly cleared by the visitors. Tanaka got a touch on the ball, flicked it over the defender’s head, and then struck it into the bottom left corner of the goalkeeper’s net.

UTA: Janni Thomsen (Mina Tanaka) 38’: Tanaka played the ball to an oncoming Thomsen, who controlled it at the top-right corner of the 18-yard box and fired a low shot into the bottom-right corner of the Louisville goalkeeper’s net to double the home team’s lead.

UTA: Cloé Lacasse (Paige Monaghan) 45+3’: Monaghan played the ball to Lacasse just outside the 18-yard box, and Lacasse unleashed a left-footed shot into the top-right corner of the net, extending the Royals’ lead to 3-0.

LOU: Emma Sears (Sarah Webber) 68’: From a goal kick, Louisville exploited space left by the Royals’ back line. Once Weaber gained control of the ball, she passed to Sears in the box, who slotted it past McGlynn to pull one back for the visitors.

LOU: Janine Sonis (Unassisted) 81’: Racing Louisville FC earned a free kick on the edge of the 18-yard box, and Sonis curled the ball into the top-right corner, leaving McGlynn with no chance to make a save.

Utah Royals FC (4-2-3-1): Mandy McGlynn; Janni Thomsen, Kate Del Fava, Kaleigh Riehl, Nuria Rábano; Claudia Zornoza, Ana Tejada (Dana Foederer 90 +1), Mina Tanaka; Cloé Lacasse (Brecken Mozingo 75’), Aisha Solórzano (Bianca St-Georges 59’), Paige Monaghan © (Imani Dorsey 75’)

Subs not used: Mia Justus, Lauren Flynn, Madison Pogarch, Cece Kizer, Aria Nagal

Head Coach: Jimmy Coenraets

Racing Louisville FC (4-3-3): Jordyn Bloomer; Makena Morris (Lauren Milliet 69’),Janine Sonis ©, Ellie Jean, Courtney Petersen; Ella Hase, Katie O’Kane (Marisa Digrande 69’), Ary Borges ( Bethany Balcer 89’); Taylor Flint, Kayla Fischer (Sarah Weber 46’), Emma Sears

Subs not used: Allie George, Avery Kalitta, Cristina Roque, Madi White

Head Coach: Beverly Yanez

UTA: Mina Tanaka (Yellow Card, 53’)

LOU: Emma Sears (Yellow Card, 57’)

LOU: Marisa Digrande (Yellow Card, 71’)

UTA: Nuria Rábano (Yellow Card, 77’)

UTA: Nuria Rábano (Yellow Card, 77’)

UTA: Mandy McGlynn (Yellow Card, 82’)

UTA: Kate Del Fava (Yellow Card, 90 +2’)