By: Isabella Rubis
After a much needed victory last Sunday, the focus for Utah Royals FC now shifts to Lynn Family Stadium and Racing Louisville as the Utah side will look to maintain the strong form showcased against North Carolina to earn a second consecutive victory for the first time in over two months.
Heading into this weekend's matchup we take a deeper look at key roster pieces returning to the URFC lineup, the players helping to further cement the Royals as a power offense within the league and the short but competitive head-to-head history with Racing Louisville FC.
Added Firepower and Consistent Weapons Bolster URFC Roster
As the Royals head into the penultimate road match, a key veteran will be returning to bolster the visitors roster on Saturday afternoon. Veteran leader Paige Cronin is once again eligible for URFC after her one game suspension following the red card against Angel City FC on September 20th. Cronin, known for her speed and scoring ability has recently shifted, recently earning minutes in a more defensive role on the right-side of the pitch.
While the New Jersey native has previously played as a forward, her ability as a versatile threat on any level of the pitch is a massive bonus for the Utah side. Cronin can not only create scoring opportunities with the ball at her feet but her speed is an added help on the defensive end allowing her to track back and thwart opponents attack.
Along with Cronin is an arsenal of attacking pieces scattered throughout the Royals roster. In the victory last Sunday against North Carolina Courage, the squad further cemented itself as an offensive powerhouse within the league. By netting two goals against the Courage, URFC now sits at 43 goals this season, a club record with four regular season games still remaining and a whopping 15 more scores than the 2025 NWSL season where the club netted 28 goals.
The current run of scoring form is a continued team effort with the entire squad finding a way to be involved in the build up. Sunday’s victory showcased four different goal contributors with Japanese defender Miyabi bagging the assist to veteran forward Cloé Lacasse to take the early lead. The second goal featured two different players with star midfielder Mina Tanaka sending an exquisite ball for Cece Delzer to earn her fifth goal of the 2026 season to become the 40th player in NWSL history to score 25 career goals.
Canadian forward Lacasse has continued to be one of the Royals key pieces in its strongest season in club history. The 33-year-old has only gotten better as the season has gone on and with the impressive headed goal against the Courage she extended her single-season Royals goal contributions record to 18 (10 assists, 8 goals) in 2026. As the squad heads into its match against Louisville, Lacasse has a chance to break more records, an assist on the afternoon would overtake the current single season record of 10 and, if she is able to score two goals within the last few games of the Royals season, Lacasse would become the first player in NWSL history to earn 10 goals and 10 assists in a single season. With records for the taking and three points for the taking, the Canadian is a key piece to the Royals growing power on offense and will be a main part of the visitors gameplan for Saturday afternoon.
URFC Eyes First-Ever Sweep in Louisville
While Utah’s opponent this weekend has struggled throughout the 2026 NWSL season now officially out of the postseason in 15th place, recent matches between the two sides since Utah’s return to the Wasatch Front have been highly contested battles with URFC just barely edging out Louisville with an overall record of 3-2-0 (W-L-T) since 2024.
On May 17, 2026 the Utah Royals welcomed Racing Louisville to America First Field, ultimately securing three points in a 2-1 victory after Tanaka netted yet another game winning goal in the 77th minute. Following a decisive goal line drive by Delzer, the Kansas native outpaced her defender before sending a beautifully placed cross into the center of the box for the Japanese star, whose score lifted URFC to its third-ever victory against the Kentucky side.
In order for the Royals to earn its first-ever sweep against Louisville not only will its key players need to step up on both ends of the pitch but, there are two key attacking contributors for the home side that URFC will need to stifle in hopes of the win: forwards Emma Sears and Kayla Fischer.
Both of the Racing Louisville attackers sit atop the squads 2026 season score sheet with seven goals a piece with Sears ever so slightly beating out her teammate for the Golden Boot lead with five assists to Fischer’s four. Sears, a constant fixture for both club and country is a dynamic and fast paced attacking piece who creates with her scoring ability and her intelligent off the ball runs that help create space in the attacking third. Along with her is Fischer, who brings high-level footwork on the ball and relentless aggression that pairs seamlessly with her finishing power to make her a threat to opposition defenses.
As Saturday draws closer, the ability to earn three points on the road is well within the Royals grasp, if the visitors can continue its impressive ability to work the ball up the pitch, finish its offensive chances and thwart any opportunities by Racing Louisville’s attacking duo, Coenraets’ squad will return home with a firm hold on its postseason hopes before taking on three top-table teams.
Utah Royals FC road match against Racing Louisville at Lynn Family Stadium is scheduled to kickoff at 2 p.m. MT on Saturday, October 3 and will be streaming on ION. Following the afternoon matchup, the Royals return to America First Field to welcome the Kansas City Current on Saturday, October 17. Kickoff for that match is slated for 4:30 p.m. MT with tickets available for purchase here.
URFC Next Home Match: 10/17 @ America First Field
URFC takes on North Carolina Courage at home! Secure your seats for an unforgettable match at America First Field.
