Utah Royals FC will play their first-ever NWSL playoff match on Friday, hosting San Diego Wave FC in the quarterfinals after a 2026 regular season that saw them rise from early setbacks to the top of the league standings. The Royals’ third season back in the NWSL has already far exceeded expectations, with the club recording more wins this year than in the previous two seasons combined.
Head coach Jimmy Coenraets described the achievement simply as a “privilege,” noting the team’s place among the league’s best eight. “You belong to the best eight teams of 2026 in the NWSL, and I think that’s a performance in and of itself,” he said at a media availability on Wednesday.
The Royals’ journey to the playoffs was far from straightforward. At the start of the season, injuries and the absence of star Japanese players Mina Tanaka and Miyabi, sidelined for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup, caused the team to lose their first two matches. But they quickly turned things around, embarking on a 10-game unbeaten streak that included seven wins and three draws. The momentum carried them to a late-season surge with seven additional wins, securing a playoff spot with a record that put them in first or second place at various points in the campaign.
Michelle Smith, president of Miller Sports + Entertainment, the Royals’ ownership group, said she “couldn’t be more excited” about the team’s progress and growing fan support. “This season’s already been a huge success from winning six games last season to where we are now. There’s so much to celebrate,” Smith told the Deseret News.
Smith credited the team’s culture and chemistry for much of their success. Captain Paige Cronin, sidelined for a red card suspension, described the players’ drive as a desire “to win for each other.” That camaraderie is reflected off the pitch as well. Courtney Brown, a Utah native and recent signing, said the team’s “superpower is that we like each other.”
The club’s investment in player health also made a difference. After Kelly Cousins, the Royals’ sporting director, pushed for more resources, Utah Soccer hired Dave Tenney as senior director of player health and performance for both the Royals and Real Salt Lake. Tenney expanded the medical and performance staff, helping the Royals maintain a 90% player availability rate throughout the season, according to Jenny Teemsma, Miller Sports + Entertainment’s vice president of communications and community.
“You can’t have great performance on the field if you don’t have healthy players and manage injuries to be as few as possible,” Smith said. “We’re hearing that value back from the players that they’ve never felt from the club the support that they feel now, right down to the staff that’s around and caring for them.”
The Royals’ roster includes several standout players. ESPN ranked three Royals, Kate Del Fava, Mina Tanaka, and Cloé Lacasse, among the top 25 NWSL players this season. Lacasse, who leads with the second-most assists in the league at 10, joined the club this year along with Miyabi, Cece Delzer, Jameese Joseph, and Kaleigh Riehl, all of whom signed contract extensions recently. The team scored 44 goals in total, a 57% increase from last season, with Tanaka netting nine, Lacasse eight, and Delzer five. Ten players scored at least twice this season.
Smith emphasized the quality of the roster. “We have 10 players that played on their international teams. You don’t get to do that unless you were the best of the best,” she said.
Beyond the pitch, Smith pointed to Utah’s appeal as a factor in retaining talent. “Those players that really want to come and play for the culture and for the team end up coming here, and then they realize, ‘Oh my word, I’m in a market that is absolutely, stunningly beautiful. I’m in a market that’s safe. I’m in a market that completely supports me and rallies around me.’”
The Royals will look to continue their breakthrough run on Friday against San Diego Wave FC, aiming to build on their historic first playoff appearance.
According to Yahoo Sports.
