Match Preview | Utah Royals Look to Bounce Back from Last Weekend’s Loss in Matchup Against Houston Dash

HERRIMAN, Utah (Thursday, September 10, 2026) – Utah Royals FC (12-3-8, 39 pts) head to Shell Energy Stadium to take on the Houston Dash (7-5-11, 26 pts) on Saturday, September 12th with kickoff set for 6:45 p.m. MT. The Royals fell to Boston Legacy last week, in a 2-1 defeat that left the Club eager to notch another win. URFC now hits the road for Houston, determined to secure a victory against the Dash in the Club’s push to maintain their spot near the top of the NWSL table as playoffs approach. 

Last Friday, Boston found the net early, when Aissata Traoré finished off of a deflected shot by Barbara Olivieri, giving the Legacy the lead in the 11th minute. URFC responded less than 10 minutes later, when goalkeeper Mandy McGlynn found Kiana Palacios who was making a run up the field. Palacios scored with a finish to the back post, giving Utah its equalizer and McGlynn’s second-ever assist during her NWSL career. Despite being deadlocked for the majority of the match, the Royals conceded late in the second half when the Legacy scored with a header in the 86th minute, handing Utah a loss at home just before the final whistle blew. Despite the result, the match saw multiple milestones including Japanese-international Mina Tanaka’s 50th Royals appearance along with Ironwoman Kate Del Fava’s 7,200 straight minutes, the 2nd longest in league history.

Now, the Royals head to Houston’s stomping grounds to take on Dash this Saturday, in its second meetup against the club this season. The first 2026 matchup on May 6th resulted in the Royals securing a 2-0 victory over the Dash in front of a home crowd. The goals were courtesy of Canadian-international Cloé Lacasse who scored in the 38th minute, and Utah-native Courtney Brown who scored in the 88th minute, both goals off an assist from Tanaka. The goal was Brown’s first for her hometown club, and the dual assists gave Tanaka her first multi-assist match in the NWSL. The win, at the time, marked Utah’s fifth consecutive victory and fourth straight shutout. The Royals have won its last two meetings with Houston, both at home and currently hold the upper hand over the Dash, leading the head-to-head record for 6W3L4D across 13 all-time meetings.

Houston enters Saturday’s matchup with a 7-5-11 league record with 26 pts, sitting at 12th in the overall NWSL standings. The Dash are coming off of three straight losses, all on the road. Now, Houston returns home, where they’ve lost just one of their last six matches. Dating back to August 2025, the Dash have lost only three of 16 regular-season home matches (8W5D). The club is led by Head Coach Fabrice Gautrat, who was appointed to the position in January of 2025, and previously served as an assistant coach for the NC Courage and Chicago Stars. Houston’s Kat Rader leads the Dash in its Golden Boot race, having notched 9 goals during the 2026 season, tying her for 5th overall in the league. 

For the last 8 matches the Royals have alternated wins and losses, with URFC following each of its previous four defeats with a win in their next match with Lacasse involved. If the Royals can utilize the playmaking power of Lacasse, and stand their ground in Houston’s territory, they stand to secure three points to bring home in Matchweek 21 of the NWSL 2026 season.

BROADCAST INFORMATION

WATCH LIVE on ION with Maura Sheridan and Jordan Angeli :: Utah Royals FC vs Houston Dash | Shell Energy Stadium | 6:45 p.m. MT

OR

LISTEN via KSL Sports Radio (102.7 FM / 1160 AM) starting at 6:15 p.m. MT

Following the match against Houston Dash, the Royals will return home to America First Field to host Angel City FC on Sunday, September 20th, with kickoff set for 5:00 p.m. MT. Tickets for the match against Angel City are available to purchase here.