HERRIMAN, Utah (Tuesday, July 28, 2026) – Utah Royals FC (9-3-4, 30 pts) return home to host the Washington Spirit (10-3-3, 33 pts) on Wednesday, July 29th with kickoff set for 7:00 p.m MT. The Royals are fresh off a 4-1 victory against the North Carolina Courage and will be looking to carry that momentum to America First Field, securing three points in front of a home crowd.
URFC’s win over the Courage was full of milestones for the club, marking 20 regular-season wins for the Royals’ Head Coach Jimmy Coenraets, the most goals Utah has ever scored in a single match, and defender Kate Del Fava hitting 10,000 regular-season minutes during the the first half of the match. The game was also the Royals ninth win of the 2026 campaign, as the club approaches the record for most wins in a single season (10).
URFC showcased its full potential with outstanding performances from every player on the pitch during the match. The Royals began the game on a high, when in the 6th minute, Nuria Rábano took a corner, sending a cross to Del Fava on the back post, who headed the ball into the back of the net. The goal marked Del Fava’s first goal this season, and the first corner kick North Carolina has conceded during the 2026 campaign. The Royals were awarded another corner in the 24th minute, when the ball made its way to Ràbano, who found defender Tatumn Milazzo. Milazzo buried the chance, and doubled the Royals lead to 2-0, giving Rábano her second assist of the match.
In the second half, Cloé Lacasse crossed to Mina Tanaka, who headed a shot inside the post, giving the Royals a 3-1 lead. The goal earned Utah its 12th set piece goal of the season, marking a Club record, as well as the most in the NWSL. During stoppage, Lacasse was fouled in the box, converting the penalty kick into the fourth goal of the match. Both players are vital contributors to the attack, with Lacasse reaching 10 goal contributions this season (6 goals, 4 assists) putting her in the lead for Club goals. Tanaka is close behind, notching nine goal contributions (5 goals, 4 assists) during the 2026 campaign.
Throughout the match, goalkeeper Mandy McGlynn made multiple key saves, with the Royals’ backline looking strong as ever, only conceding once, giving the Royals a 4-1 victory over the Courage on the road. The win gave the Royals an opportunity to meet several Club and league milestones, as well as gives the team momentum as they head home to host the Washington Spirit.
The Royals are unbeaten during its last three meetings against the Spirit, since the start of last season, notching one win and two draws against the club. Washington has only faced off against one other team three or more times since the start of last season that they have not defeated; Gotham FC who the Spirit conceded the 2025 NWSL Championship to.
Washington enters the matchup against the Royals with a season record of 10-3-3, 33 pts, sitting at first in the NWSL standings. The Spirit are also coming off of two recent wins; a 2-1 victory over the Boston Legacy on July 20th, and a 1-0 success against Denver Summit on July 27th. Spirit superstar Trinity Rodman has scored 7 goals, and notched 5 assists during the 2026 campaign, landing her on the NWSL leadership for top goalscorers. Washington has secured both most goals scored (22) and fewest goals conceded (8) in the league this season. Led by Head Coach Adrián González, who made it to the NWSL championship in 2025 before falling to Gotham FC in his first year as Head Coach, the club will make a formidable foe in the Royals’ fight for a three-game win streak.
Wednesday night’s clash will be a hard-fought battle, with the victor showcasing who reigns supreme, as the Royals trail the Spirit by three points in the NWSL standings. URFC has a chance to solidify its place at the top when the Club is put to the test as they take on the Spirit in front of a home crowd.
WATCH LIVE\ on NWSL+ with Maura Sheridan and Ricky Lopez-Espin :: Utah Royals FC vs Washington Spirit | America First Field | \7:00 p.m. MT
WATCH LIVE on KMYU with JP Chunga and Carla Haslam :: Utah Royals FC vs Washington Spirit | America First FIeld | 6:30 p.m. MT | KMYU (2.2 over air / 12 satellite / 643 Comcast HD)
LISTEN via KSL Sports Radio (102.7 FM / 1160 AM) starting at 6:30 p.m. MT
Following its match against the Spirit, the Royals will remain at home to host the Portland Thorns FC on Sunday, August 2, at America First Field with kickoff set for 5:00 p.m. MT. Tickets are available for purchase at RSL.com.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.rsl.com ’
