SEATTLE, Washington (Sunday, April 26, 2026) – Utah Royals FC (3-2-1, 10 points, 3rd NWSL) earned a commanding 3-0 road victory over Seattle Reign FC (3-2-1, 10 points, 4th NWSL) at Lumen Field on Sunday night. The victory marked the largest away win in club history during National Women's Soccer League play and Utah’s first road victory over Seattle since 2019. The result also lifted the Royals into the top three of the league standings for the first time since 2019.
Utah Royals FC Head Coach Jimmy Coenraets made three personnel changes to the starting XI while maintaining the same formation used in the club’s 1-0 home victory over the Chicago Stars on April 3. Spanish defender Nuria Rábano earned her first start of the 2026 season after returning from a preseason injury. Japanese midfielder Narumi Miura also returned from injury, making both her first start of the 2026 campaign and her club debut for the Royals. Leading the attack, captain Paige Cronin made her first start of the season after recovering from a preseason injury.
Starting the match on the front foot, the Royals looked determined to draw first blood early. Just 50 seconds into the contest, Seattle Reign FC misplayed a back pass along the back line, allowing Japanese forward Mina Tanaka to pounce on the loose ball. Tanaka quickly laid it off to captain Cronin, who blasted a shot past the Seattle goalkeeper to give Utah a 1-0 lead on the road and score her first goal of the 2026 season. The strike marked the fastest goal in club history, surpassing the previous record set by Cloé Lacasse in 2024 at the three-minute mark. It also stood as the first goal scored by the Royals within the opening minute of play and the 14th-fastest goal in National Women's Soccer League history.
The Royals doubled their advantage in the seventh minute after earning a corner kick that bounced around multiple areas inside the box before center back Kaleigh Riehl played the ball back just outside the 18-yard box. Midfielder Miura met it first-time, curling a strike into the top-right corner past the outstretched Seattle goalkeeper to give Utah a 2-0 lead on the road. The goal marked Miura’s first of the 2026 season and her first for the Royals. The two-goal advantage became the quickest in club history, surpassing the previous mark set on Sept. 27, 2025, when Utah took an 18-minute two-goal lead. It also marked the first time in club history the Royals scored twice within the opening 10 minutes of a match and the first time Seattle had ever conceded two goals in the opening 10 minutes since joining the league as a founding member.
In the 19th minute, goalkeeper Mia Justus came up with a massive save to preserve Utah’s 2-0 advantage. Minutes later, in the 34th minute, Tanaka received the ball outside the 18-yard box and unleashed a left-footed rocket that forced the Seattle goalkeeper to tip the effort over the crossbar for a corner kick. Entering the match, the Royals held a 16-0-1 record when leading by two or more goals.
In the 42nd minute, Spanish midfielder Ana Tejada received the ball nearly 30 yards from goal and tried her luck from distance, sending a shot just wide of the near post. Then, in first-half stoppage time, Tejada found Lacasse making a dangerous run into the box, where the Canadian attacker met the pass first-time and fired a rocket past the Seattle goalkeeper to extend Utah’s lead to 3-0 on the road.
The three-goal first half marked just the fifth time in club history Utah has scored three goals in the opening 45 minutes and the first since last September against Racing Louisville FC. It also marked just the second time the Royals have scored three first-half goals on the road, previously accomplishing the feat in May 2025 against Washington Spirit. Sunday also marked the second time Utah has scored three first-half goals against Seattle, previously doing so on Oct. 13, 2024.
For Seattle, it was the first time the club had conceded three first-half goals at home since May 2023 against Gotham FC. Utah also improved to 5-0-0 all-time in regular season matches when leading by three or more goals and became just the third away team in the NWSL this season to score three or more goals in the first half of a match, joining Bay FC and Orlando Pride.
Coming out of the locker room, the Royals looked determined to protect their lead by continuing to create chances while maintaining the clean sheet. In the 60th minute, goalkeeper Justus came up with a big save to keep the score at 3-0. Three minutes later, Justus was called into action again, denying a dangerous shot from outside the 18-yard box to preserve Utah’s three-goal advantage.
In the 71st minute, Justus delivered one of the biggest saves of the night, getting a touch on a powerful strike that ricocheted off the crossbar to keep her clean sheet intact and maintain the 3-0 scoreline. Justus appeared to pick up a slight injury following the impressive stop. In the 82nd minute, Mandy McGlynn entered the match for Justus, making her 2026 season debut after returning from injury.
The victory marked the largest away win in Utah Royals FC history in National Women's Soccer League play and Utah’s first road victory over Seattle Reign FC since 2019. The result also lifted the Royals into the top three of the league standings, the highest position the club has reached in franchise history.
Utah Royals FC will remain on the road, traveling to face Angel City FC on Saturday, May 2, at BMO Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:45 p.m. MT, with the match streaming on ION. The Royals will then return home to host the Houston Dash on Wednesday, May 6, at America First Field. Kickoff is set for 8:00 p.m. MT. Tickets are available for purchase here.
SEA 0:3 UTA
UTA: Paige Cronin (Mina Tanaka) 1’ — Just 50 seconds into the match, Seattle misplayed a back pass along the back line, allowing Japanese forward Tanaka to pounce on the loose ball. Tanaka quickly laid it off to captain Cronin, who blasted a shot past the Seattle goalkeeper to give Utah a 1-0 road lead and score her first goal of the 2026 season.
UTA: Narumi Miura (Kaleigh Riehl) 7’ — In the seventh minute, the Royals earned a corner kick that bounced around multiple areas inside the box before center back Riehl played the ball back just outside the 18-yard box. Miura met it first-time, curling a strike into the top-right corner past the outstretched Seattle goalkeeper to give Utah a 2-0 lead on the road. The goal marked Miura’s first of the 2026 season and her first goal for the Royals.
UTA: Ana Tejada (Cloé Lacasse) 45+1’ — In first-half stoppage time, Tejada found attacker Lacasse making a dangerous run into the box. Lacasse met the pass first-time and fired a rocket past the Seattle goalkeeper to extend Utah’s lead to 3-0 on the road.
LINEUPS:
Utah Royals FC (4-3-3): Mia Justus (Mandy McGlynn 82’); Nuria Rábano (Miyabi Moriya 78’), Kate Del Fava, Kaleigh Reihl, Janni Thomsen; Ana Tejada, Narumi Miura (Aria Nagai 79’), Mina Tanaka; Paige Cronin © (Alexa Spaanstra 60’), Cloe Lacasse, Kiana Palacios
Subs not used: DeAira Jackson, Kameron Simmonds, Tatumn Milazzo, Courtney Brown, Dayana Pierre-Louis, Brecken Mozingo
Head Coach: Jimmy Coenraets
Seattle Reign FC (4-2-3-1): Claudia Dickey; Maddie Curry, Phoebe McClernon, Emily Mason, Sofia Huerta (Ryanne Brown 78’); Sally Menti (Angharad James-Turner 78’), Samantha Meza; Brittany Ratcliffe (Maddie Dahlien 55’), Jess Fishlock © (Emeri Adames 68’), Nerilia Mondesir; Maddie Mercado
Subs not used: Holly Ward, Ainsley McCammon, Mia Fishel, Shae Holmes, Cassie Miller
Head Coach: Laura Harvey
Stats Summary: SEA / UTA
Possession: 47 / 53
Shots: 9 / 14
Shots on Goal: 4 / 5
Corner Kicks: 5 / 6
Fouls: 12 / 13
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY:
UTA: Ana Tejada (Yellow Card - 13’)
UTA: Janni Thomsen (Yellow Card - 71’)
SEA: Samantha Meza (Yellow Card - 80’)
