SANDY — Each goal in Friday’s first half at America First Field seemed to add another layer of validity for a rising Utah Royals squad.
First, it was Mina Tanaka’s flashy juggling shot in the 13th minute, then Janni Thomsen’s powerful right-flank shot in the 38th minute, and, finally, a beautiful upper-90 curler from Cloe Lacasse in first-half stoppage time to officially announce that she, and the Royals, were back.
Utah allowed two goals by visiting Racing Louisville in the second half but held on for a 3-2 victory, winning three of its last four games and remaining undefeated over a six-game stretch dating back to mid-August.
“We’re picking up steam, people are competing for spots, and it shows that this group is competitive,” Lacasse said. “We do want to turn a page, and we want to show our fans that we have a fantastic squad. We’re a force to be reckoned with, and people need to know that now.”
Only the league-dominating, first-place Kansas City Current can match Utah’s success over the last six games. But even with the stellar run, the Royals remain in second-to-last place in the NWSL, tied with Bay FC, and still 10 points out of the final playoff spot.
The three goals were the most Utah has scored in a match since a 3-3 draw with the Washington Spirit on May 17. Lacasse’s goal was her first of the season following her return from an ACL injury last month, and Thomsen’s was the first of her NWSL career after coming to Utah from Europe in March.
“I have been trying so much to score my first goal, so just to see the ball go into the net was an amazing feeling,” Thomsen said. “That was so big for me.”
The two firsts of the season bring the total number of goal scorers for the Royals to 10 on the year, with head coach Jimmy Coenraets saying he sees versatility and even distribution of goals as a strength of this Utah team.
“I think we see within the league a lot of teams suffering if you rely a lot on one player,” Coenraets said. “We want to have loads of ways of attacking, so I think I’m not unhappy about goals being divided over the front line.”
Utah heads on the road for its next two contests, hoping to extend the unbeaten streak with matchups against Bay FC and the Chicago Stars over the next two weeks, before returning for the penultimate home game of the season against the San Diego Wave on Oct. 11.
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