<\/p>\n
SANDY \u2014 After blitzing through May, the Utah Royals are the hottest team in the NWSL.<\/p>\n
And head coach Jimmy Coenraets<\/a> is being recognized for it.<\/p>\n Coenraets was named NWSL Coach of the Month for the month of May, an award voted on by the NWSL Media Association and the league\u2019s on-air broadcast talent, after leading the club to an unbeaten 4-0-2 record to sit just one point off first place in the 16-team league during the month-long international break around the FIFA men\u2019s World Cup<\/a>.<\/p>\n Through 12 matches, Utah (7-2-3, 24 points) is just one point behind the San Diego Wave (8-4-1, 25 points) and tied with the Portland Thorns (7-3-3, 24 points) with a game in hand on both clubs.<\/p>\n Picked to finish in the bottom third of the league in the preseason, the Royals are the surprise team of the 2026 campaign. The club that has never made the NWSL playoffs \u2014 in either iteration of the club, from 2018-2020 before relocating to Kansas City or since its revival in 2023 \u2014 is suddenly a championship contender as the league approaches the halfway point of the season. <\/p>\n Japanese international Mina Tanaka<\/a> leads the Royals with four goals and four assists, the latter of which is tied for the most in the league. Clo\u00e9 Lacasse has three goals and three assists before being called into camp with the Canadian national team, and first-year striker Kiana Palacios<\/a> just scored in back-to-back games before being called up by Mexico during the break.<\/p>\n U.S. international Mandy McGlynn leads the defense in goal, and Kate Del Fava was recently named to the United States\u2019 U-23 roster<\/a> for a pair of friendlies in Brazil during the international break.<\/p>\n But the super power behind the club\u2019s success is a group that \u201cwe like each other,\u201d as Utah native Courtney Brown explained<\/a>, and an architect in the 31-year-old Belgium manager with only his second professional head coaching position.<\/p>\n Celebrating all the desire, grit, and behind the scenes work \ud83d\udc4f pic.twitter.com\/EdQoF9yKYb<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Utah Royals FC (@UtahRoyalsFC) June 4, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n The Royals won all three home matches in May, outscoring their opponents 6-2 on aggregate and adding a pair of road shutouts over Angel City and Bay FC before a wild 2-2 draw at Portland<\/a> in the pre-international break finale to collect 14 of a possible 18 points from six matches.<\/p>\n They\u2019ll return from the break July 5 with a road trip to the Chicago Stars before hosting New Jersey-based Gotham FC on Friday, July 10 (8 p.m. MT, CBS Sports Network).<\/p>\n Five of the Royals\u2019 first eight matches out of the break will be held at home, with a first-of-its-kind trip to regional rival Denver scattered with a visit to the North Carolina Courage.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n