HERRIMAN, Utah (Thursday, April 23, 2026) — Utah Royals FC (2-1-2, 7 pts) heads to the Emerald City to face Seattle Reign FC (3-1-1, 10 pts) for the first time in the 2026 campaign on Sunday, April 26, at Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington. Kickoff is set for 6:00 p.m. MT.
Utah enters Sunday’s contest following its first home win of the 2026 season, earning a 1-0 victory over Chicago Stars FC at America First Field. After a tightly contested opening stretch, the breakthrough came in the 70th minute when forward Cece Delzer drew a foul inside the box, leading to a VAR review and subsequent penalty decision. Forward Mina Tanaka stepped up in the 74th minute and calmly converted from the spot, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way to secure Utah’s lone goal of the match and her second of the season.
Utah delivered one of its most aggressive attacking halves in club history, generating 18 shots before the break, the Royals’ highest first-half total since October 2024. The hosts applied pressure from the opening whistle, with Delzer creating an early chance inside the first minute and continuing to drive the attack throughout the half. Chicago’s back line was forced into repeated clearances under sustained pressure, while goalkeeper Mia Justus preserved the clean sheet with a full-stretch save in the 12th minute to keep the match level. Utah also recorded 2.2 expected goals (xG), marking the highest first-half total in club history and highlighting both the volume and quality of chances created.
Head Coach Jimmy Coenraets and his squad now look to build on that performance after securing their first home victory of the 2026 campaign, capturing all three points against Chicago Stars FC. The result marks back-to-back wins for the Royals and extends their unbeaten streak to three matches. Utah will aim to carry that momentum forward as it pushes to extend its unbeaten run to four games, with Tanaka, Lara Prašnikar, and Tatumn Milazzo currently tied for the team lead with two goals a piece.
Now in his second full season at the helm, Head Coach Coenraets continues shaping a balanced roster built on defensive organization, midfield control, and attacking creativity. Sunday’s match presents an opportunity for Utah to extend its unbeaten run to four matches and secure a third consecutive victory while earning three points on the road.
Seattle Reign FC enters the matchup with a 3-1-1 record, most recently playing to a 0-0 draw at home against expansion side Denver Summit FC, marking its first scoreless result of the 2026 campaign. Led by Head Coach Laura Harvey, Seattle will look to respond by finding the back of the net and securing points in front of its home crowd.
Sunday’s contest marks the sixth match of the 2026 NWSL regular season for both sides, with each team aiming to secure valuable early-season points and maintain a strong position in the standings.
WATCH LIVE on Victory+ with Josh Eastern and McCall Zerboni :: Utah Royals FC vs. Seattle Reign FC | Lumen Field | 6:00 p.m. MT
LISTEN via KSL Sports Radio (102.7 FM / 1160 AM) starting at 5:30 p.m. MT
Following Sunday’s match in Seattle, Utah Royals FC will remain on the road, traveling to Los Angeles to face Angel City FC on Saturday, May 2, at BMO Stadium. Kickoff is set for 6:45 p.m. MT, with the match streaming on ION.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.rsl.com ’
