We’re living in a world where the only two teams in the NWSL with unbeaten streaks of more than two games are Utah Royals and reigning NWSL champions Gotham FC.
It’s not the latter that’s surprising. Since joining the NWSL, the Royals have never made the postseason. Their best finish came in 2018, when they narrowly missed a playoff spot by finishing fifth. In 2019, the Royals finished sixth before taking a multiyear hiatus from the NWSL. They returned in 2024 but didn’t fare much better, finishing 12th in both 2024 and 2025.
This, however, could be their year.
There are several reasons why. For one, the roster hasn’t changed much. Aside from a few additions and departures, the Royals have largely stayed the course, with players such as Cloé Lacasse and Mina Tanaka leading the attack. Lacasse and Tanaka have combined for nearly half of the team’s goals this season. Then there’s Kiana Palacios, who scored in back-to-back matches before the break, adding even more firepower.
Defensively, much of Utah’s success can also be attributed to goalkeeper Mandy McGlynn and defender Kate Del Fava.
It’s going to be an uphill battle for the Royals in the second half of the season, especially with just one point separating the top three teams in the standings.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.goal.com ’
