SANDY, Utah (Friday, October 23, 2026) – Utah Royals FC (14-10-5, 47 points, 5th NWSL) drew its final home game against Seattle Reign FC (13-11-5, 44 points, 8th NWSL) on Friday, tying 0-0 in front of 14,149 fans at America First Field. With a Portland Thorns win, Utah clinched its first NWSL playoff spot.
Head Coach Jimmy Coenraets made one positional change and one personnel change to last week’s starting XI that suffered a tough 2-0 home defeat. Attacker Cece Delzer returned to the right wing, while Courtney Brown made her first home start for the Royals in place of Brecken Mozingo. Japanese international Miyabi returned to the bench after missing the last game due to injury. A few individual milestones were celebrated in the game, including Kaleigh Riehl’s 100th NWSL start and Brown’s first home start for the Royals.
The first chance of the evening fell to Paige Cronin, who dribbled down the right sideline before firing a left-footed shot that hit the wrong side of the crossbar and saw the ball fly out of bounds. In the 13th minute, Seattle came down the right side of the pitch before sending in a dangerous cross that was headed away by Riehl.
The Reign started to gain momentum during the middle half of the game with a dangerous cross and a shot from Mercado that soared over the crossbar. In the 28th, a lucky deflected shot found Delzer for an easy pass back to Narumi, whose shot forced USWNT goalkeeper Claudia Dickey into a diving save to her left.
Toward the end of the first half, the Royals created pressure on the Seattle defense with the best chance coming from a shot from Utah’s Ana Tejada. The young Spanish midfielder lined up a shot from outside the penalty area that was destined to ripple the back of the net if not for a touch from Dickey that redirected the ball off the crossbar and out for a corner.
The Royals kept up the momentum from the first half with a shot from Delzer that forced Dickey to make the stop with her hands. Second half substitute Jameese Joseph ran down the right side after receiving the ball from Delzer, Joseph fired a dangerous shot that forced Dickey to make another stop.
Despite a strong fight from the Royals, the Reign held on until the end for a 0-0 draw.
Utah Royals FC will head to New Jersey to face off against Gotham FC at Sports Illustrated Stadium on NWSL Decision Day, November 1st. Kickoff is set for 3:00 p.m. MT with broadcast information to come.
UTA 0 : 0 SEA
LINEUPS:
Utah Royals FC (4-3-3): Mandy McGlynn; Paige Cronin ©, (Miyabi, 90+1’), Kate Del Fava, Kaleigh Riehl, Nuria Rábano; Ana Tejada, (Madison Hammond,90’), Narumi, Courtney Brown, (Jameese Joseph, 64’); Cece Delzer, Kiana Palacios, (Brecken Mozingo, 79’), Cloé Lacasse
Subs not used: Mia Justus, Kameron Simmonds, Tatumn Milazzo, Dayana Pierre-Louis, Alexa Spaanstra
Head Coach: Jimmy Coenraets
Seattle Reign (4-3-3): Claudia Dickey; Ryanne Brown, (Madison Curry, 46’), Phoebe McClernon, Jordyn Bugg, Sofia Huerta; Jess Fishlock ©, (Sally Menti 46’), Ainsley McCammon, Sam Meza; Emeri Adames, (Brittany Ratcliffe, 72’), Nerilia Mondesir, (Mia Fishel, 86’), Maddie Mercado
Subs not used: Angharad James-Turner, Holly Ward, Emily Mason, Mia Fishel, Shae Holmes, Cassie Miller
Head Coach: Laura Harvey
Stats Summary: UTA / SEA
Possession: 58% / 42%
Shots: 11 / 9
Shots on Goal: 4 / 1
Corner Kicks: 8 / 2
Fouls: 9 / 14
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY:
SEA: Jess Fishlock (Yellow Card - 20’)
SEA: Jordyn Bugg (Yellow Card - 37’)
Photo Assets — Please Credit Utah Royals FC
