By: Avery Romney
After a victorious Wednesday night, Utah Royals FC (5-2-1, 16 pts., 2nd NWSL) returns to California for another battle, this time a bit further north on the state’s coast. Bay FC (3-3-0, 9 pts., 10th NWSL) awaits URFC’s arrival in San Jose this Sunday, May 10 at PayPal Park to put the matchup to the test.
The Royals have climbed the leaderboard yet again, settling themselves into the number two spot—its highest weekly ranking in Club history. Only the Portland Thorns remain ahead of them, logging just three more points than URFC. The Royals will face the Thorns on May 30, and likely contend for the top spot.
Looking Back to Look Forward
Utah Royals FC continued its historic run of form on Wednesday night, earning a 2-0 victory over Houston Dash at America First Field behind another dominant defensive performance. URFC secured its fourth consecutive shutout and fifth straight victory dating back to the Club’s original 2018-19 era, while also setting a new franchise record with 378 consecutive minutes without conceding a goal. Canadian forward Cloé Lacasse opened the scoring in the 38th minute, calmly finishing a perfectly weighted through ball from Japanese midfielder Mina Tanaka for her third consecutive match with a goal.
The Royals carried its one-goal advantage through the second half before sealing the victory late in the match. In the 88th minute, Tanaka recorded her second assist of the night, threading a pass into the path of Utah native Courtney Brown, who struck home her first goal for the Club in front of her hometown fans. The finish secured Tanaka’s first multi-assist match of her NWSL career and extended the Royals’ winning streak heading into Sunday’s road match against Bay FC.
Breaking Record After Record
URFC remains relentless in its attack, refusing to leave the pitch without finding the back of the net since its matchup against the Portland Thorns last August. Canadian midfielder Lacasse opened the scoring on Wednesday, with her third consecutive game putting a goal on the board. If the pattern holds and Lacasse scores in the Sunday match, she will tie for most games scored in a row in club history, sharing the title with Christen Press and Amy Rodriguez, who played for URFC back in 2018-19.
Keepers Mandy McGlynn and Mia Justus have worked tirelessly throughout the season in effort to fortify the competition, with four straight shutouts in the last four games, the longest shutout streak in club history. McGlynn recently returned from injury, subbing in for Justus in the match against Seattle FC. Since then, McGlynn has started and played the full 90 minutes for each match, offering nothing but zeros for the opposing team since her comeback.
Eyes on the Opposition
In its two-year history with Bay FC since its creation in 2024, URFC has remained unbeaten. Of four total matches, Utah has come out on top three of those times. In its first meeting, Kate Del Fava earned her team its first-ever win with a late header, bringing the score 1-0. The two teams’ most recent encounter was a URFC 2-0 victory on September 27, 2025, with goals from Janni Thomsen and former player Aisha Solorzano. The Royals look to carry this unbeaten streak to five this weekend with another victory.
This weekend’s road match is set to kick off at PayPal Stadium at 2:00 PM MT, and fans can stream the match on Victory+ and locally on KMYU. The Royals then return home to host Racing Louisville the following Sunday, May 17, at America First Field. Kickoff is set for 6:00 p.m. MT. Tickets are available for purchase here.
URFC Next Match: 5/17 @ America First Field
URFC takes on Racing Louisville at America First Field at 6:00 p.m. MT. Secure your seats for an unforgettable match!
