No. 3 Utah hosts No. 1 Washington in tonight’s Royals vs Spirit matchup, as two surging teams square off atop the NWSL standings.
Utah arrives hot off Saturday’s 4-1 rout of No. 9 North Carolina. On Saturday, four players contributed to the club’s highest-ever scoreline, as star striker Cloé Lacasse tied Christen Press’s 2019 single-season Royals scoring record.
“What this group is — and [Lacasse is] a great example of it — is humble,” coach Jimmy Coenraets said. “We’ll enjoy this win, but we also know that the hustle will start tomorrow.”
Utah remains unbeaten against Washington through three straight meetings — including March’s Mina Tanaka-fueled 1-1 draw.
The Spirit has conceded just 12 goals this season after Sunday’s 1-0 win over No. 11 Denver, where US star Trinity Rodman connected with forward Sofia Cantore to net the game-winner from deep.
“Tactically, the team is improving and growing every week,” manager Adrián González said. “We are finding different ways to win games, and I think that’s really positive.”
Washington visits Utah tonight at 9 PM ET (NWSL+).
