Utah Royals FC Defeated 2-0 On The Road At Angel City FC
LOS ANGELES, California (Friday, May 9, 2025) - Utah Royals FC (1-6-1, 4 pts.) fell 2-0 to Angel City FC (4-2-2, 14 pts.) under the BMO Stadium lights. The defeat marked a third consecutive loss for Utah, who remain 13th in the league standings.
Going into tonight's game, Head Coach Jimmy Coenraets made two changes in the starting lineup, opting to start defender Madison Pogarch on the left and forward Mina Tanaka, who got her first start since returning from injury.
A series of early attacks from the homeside put the Royals in a difficult position to start the game. Flipping the pressure, earning a free-kick opportunity, URFC midfielder Ally Sentnor opted to shoot aimed for the far post, but her effort was caught by Angel City goalkeeper Angelina Anderson.
Sentnor displayed incredible footwork to create an opportunity for forward Brecken Mozingo, who was wide open on the right wing but pulled her shot just wide of the left post. Moments later, Mandy McGlynn mishandled a cross that fell to the feet of Tiernan, whose shot was deflected wide of the far post from less than six feet out.
The first half ended 0-0, with Utah holding firm through a disciplined defensive stretch, limiting Angel City’s 12 shots to just one on target over the opening 45 minutes. Despite holding only 40.3% possession, the Royals entered the locker room with two shots on target and an expected goals (xG) value of 0.22.
The first chance of the second half fell to Mozingo, as a pink flare slowly faded in front of the goalmouth, briefly obscuring Anderson’s view of the play—an advantage Mozingo capitalized on to earn Utah the first corner of the half. Soon after, a low-driven cross from Alyssa Thompson to Gisele Thompson led to Angel City’s first attempt of the half, but it was collected cleanly by McGlynn.
Angel City’s goal came just 24 seconds after Christen Press entered the match in the 65th minute. Chasing down a long ball floated over the top by Alanna Kennedy toward the end line, Press chopped the ball back into the box, evading a sliding challenge from Pogarch. Thomsen then cut onto her left foot and lifted a looping shot over McGlynn and into the net.
Alex Loera returned to the pitch for the first time 384 days returning from an ACL injury suffered in early last season appearing for Bay FC. Subbing on for Dana Foederer, Loera made her first appearance for URFC since being acquired in the offseason.
Angel City’s second goal came from Alyssa Thompson following a poor clearance. Thomsen chopped the ball and drove into the box, weaving between two Utah defenders before getting her shot off across two closing players. The ball struck toward the far side of the goal, bouncing off the post and into the net.
Ana Maria Guzman had Utah’s final chance of the match in the 90+12’ when she took a shot from outside the 18-yard box, attempting to chip Anderson. However, it sailed just over the crossbar. The final whistle blew moments later, sealing a 2-0 loss on the road.
Utah Royals FC will look to get the season back on track visiting the Washington Spirit on Saturday, May 17. Kickoff is set for 5:30 PM MT. Utah Royals FC then returns home to Sandy to host the 2024 NWSL Shield winners and NWSL champions, Orlando Pride, on May 23. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. MT. Tickets for the match are available at https://www.rsl.com/utahroyals/tickets/single.
LA 2 : 0 UTA
GOAL-SCORING SUMMARY:
LA: Christen Press (Alanna Kennedy) 66’: Kennedy plays a through ball into Press’s stride, who dribbles into the box before cutting it back and curling a left-footed, bending shot over Mandy McGlynn.
LA: Alyssa Thompson (Unassisted) 90+7’: A poor clearance was intercepted by Angel City, who quickly found Alyssa Thompson at the top of the 18-yard box. She sliced through two Utah defenders before firing a left-footed shot, slotting the ball into the bottom right corner off the post past McGlynn.
LINEUPS:
Utah Royals FC (4-3-3): Mandy McGlynn, Janni Thomsen, Kate Del Fava ©, Lauren Flynn, Madison Pogarch; Dana Foederer (Alex Loera, 84’), Ana Tejada (KK Ream, 87’); Mina Tanaka; Brecken Mozingo (Ana Maria Guzman, 90+2’), Ally Sentnor, Cece Kizer (Aisha Solórzano, 67’)
Subs not used: Mia Justus, Nuria Rábano, Aria Nagai
Angel City FC (4-3-3): Angelina Anderson; Sarah Gorden ©, Savy King (Megan Reid, 85’), MA Vignola, Gisele Thompson (Miyabi Moriya, 88’); Alanna Kennedy, Kennedy Fuller (Maiara Niehus, 85’), Katie Zelem (Madison Hammond, 85’); Claire Emslie (Christen Press, 65’), Alyssa Thompson, Riley Tiernan
Subs not used: Hannah Stambaugh, Julie Dufour, Casey Phair, Macey Hodge
Stats Summary: LA / UTA
Possession: 57.7 / 42.3
Shots: 18 / 15
Shots on Goal: 5 / 7
Corner Kicks: 6 / 4
Fouls: 12 / 4
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY:
LA: Gisele Thompson (Yellow Card - 11’)
LA: Katie Zelem (Yellow Card - 47’)
LA: Alyssa Thompson (Yellow Card - 51’)
