The Royals are back and have completed their first season since leaving Utah in 2020. While the standings show them as 11th in the league, the Royals accomplished a lot in their first year back. They won games, worked together, and scored 22 goals.
Utah Royals had some great players this season. Goalkeeper Mandy Haught had 84 saves, including back-to-back penalty saves against North Carolina in March for the club’s first win in the new era. Forwards Ally Setnor and Cloe Lacasse lead the goalscoring, with Lacasse scoring four goals and Setnor adding three more. The goalscoring was a team effort and the team seemed to gel better as the season went on. The midfield, made up of Dana Foederer, Macey Fraser, Mikayla Cluff, and Agnes Nyberg, showed strong chemistry and was essential in getting the Royals’ attack started. Defenders Madison Pogarch, Zoe Burns, and Kate Del Fava were vulnerable at times, conceding several penalties early in the season but figured it out later.
The Royals had some turnovers in coaching, with Head Coach Amy Rodriguez being let go midseason. The Royals seemed to improve under Jimmy Coenraets and started putting together some wins. Also, the crowd at America First Field grew more and more energized, getting louder near the end of the season. While there were a lot of empty seats, the environment was good for the amount of fans in attendance. The fans will need to show up for home games and get loud just like they do for Real Salt Lake.
Overall, the team did well for being an expansion team. They were only seven points out of a playoff position this year. If the Royals build off of their 2024 success and fix their defensive issues, this could be a good second year. If  Lacasse and Setnor continue to score, the midfield builds chemistry and Mandy Haught makes jaw-dropping saves, it will be a great season.
I see the Royals making the playoffs next year. It is too early to tell if the team can make a deep run in next year’s playoffs but the future looks bright.
