Utah Royals Suffer Sixth Straight Defeat With Loss To Washington Spirit
Jun 8, 2024, 7:38 PM
SANDY – The Utah Royals suffered a sixth consecutive loss after falling at home to the Washington Spirit.
Royals drop sixth straight match
The Royals hosted the Spirit at America First Field in Sandy, Utah on Saturday, June 8.
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Utah lost to Washington, 1-0.
Wins and draws have been tough to come by for the Royals this season. Saturday’s contest was no different.
The Royals had their opportunities but allowed the Spirit to dictate much of the contest and come away with a victory.
Both teams saw early chances in the finishing third of the pitch.
Around the midway point of the opening half, the Spirit began to press the Royals and eventually broke through with a strike.
In the 26th minute, the Spirit found the ball bouncing around the box after a corner kick when Kate Wiesner attempted a pair of shots before her second kick resulted with the ball finding the back of the net for a goal.
It was Wiesner’s first NWSL goal and gave the Spirit a 1-0 lead.
The @WashSpirit strike first for a 1-0 lead over @UtahRoyalsFC in the 26th minute.#URFC #NWSL pic.twitter.com/1xh4DapMvV
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) June 9, 2024
During the first 45 minutes of action, the Royals controlled possession for 54 percent of the opening half. However, Washington was able to record two more shots than Utah’s five, including five shots on goal to only two on target by the Royals.
Each team earned a pair of corner kicks in the half. One of Utah’s came on an error from Washington’s goalkeeper. The Spirit took advantage of one corner to bounce the ball around the box before find the back of the net for a goal.
In the second half, the Spirit appeared to be on the verge of multiple goals. However, Washington was unable to break through again.
Mandy "Brick Wall" Haught 🧱 https://t.co/03cMt8EFez pic.twitter.com/J4J9jrQXD2
— Utah Royals FC (@UtahRoyalsFC) June 9, 2024
Utah’s offensive struggles this season continued against the Spirit and the Royals had limited opportunities in the second half despite multiple substitutions.
In the end, Washington managed to play keep away over the final half and secure a win. The Spirit controlled possession for 53 percent of the contest.
Utah was outshot by Washington, 15-9, including 10-5 in shots on goal.
The Spirit also had nine corner kicks to only three by the Royals.
Up next for the Royals
With the loss, the Royals dropped to a 1-1-10 record this season.
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Utah’s next match is on the road against Bay FC on Sunday, June 16 at 8 p.m. (MT). The game will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network, KSL Sports Zone, KSLSports.com, and the KSL Sports app.
About Utah Royals FC
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The Royals announced the club’s return to Utah and the National Women’s Soccer League for the 2024 season in March 2023.
Originally founded in November 2017, the Royals played in Utah from 2018-20. The franchise was moved to Kansas City in 2020 and plays in Missouri under the “Currents” nickname.
The Royals were first established in Sandy, Utah as an NWSL expansion club. The team played as the Royals for three seasons and held its home matches at America First Field, formerly known as Rio Tinto Stadium, which was also the home of Major League Soccer’s Real Salt Lake.
In December 2020, the NWSL announced that the Royals would cease to operate in Utah and the club’s players were transferred to Kansas City.
In January 2022, a new Real Salt Lake ownership group, led by David Blitzer and Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith, took hold of the option to bring an NWSL club back to the state.
The time has come.
Let's go all out 😤 pic.twitter.com/9GrUTNspoH
— Utah Royals FC (@UtahRoyalsFC) March 15, 2024
The Royals kicked off their second stint in Utah on March 16.
Kyle Ireland is an insider for Utah’s NHL team for KSLSports.com. Follow him on X (@kyleireland), Threads (@kyleirelandksl), and Instagram (@kyleirelandksl).
