Utah Royals score 5 unanswered to rout Portland, return to top-3 in NWSL

SANDY — All that Utah Royals FC needed after giving up the fastest goal in the NWSL in triple-digit temperatures was some water, and a historic performance by two of its rising stars.

Cece Delzer scored her first career brace, and Cloé Lacasse dished out three assists as the Utah Royals scored five-unanswered goals after the first-half hydration break in a 5-1 rout over the Portland Thorns in front of an announced crowd of 6,243 fans Sunday at America First Field.

Brecken Mozingo, Kiana Palacios and Kate Del Fava also scored for the Royals, who rebounded from Wednesday’s 1-0 loss to Washington to improve to 10-3-5 with 33 points with 12 games remaining.

It’s the most goals scored at home in Utah Royals FC history, and the 31st goal of the season — another all-time franchise best. Lacasse is also the eighth player in Royals history with at least three assists in a regular-season match.

Not that she’ll be putting it on her LinkedIn — even if she should, Delzer noted.

“It’s funny that she is someone who doesn’t like the glory or the praise — but it’s fun when she has those moments and we get to celebrate her, while she shies away,” Delzer said of her teammate.

“She’s been a spark for us, and I’m really proud and happy to have her as a teammate,” she added.

After following up the CBA-mandated international break that coincided with the FIFA men’s World Cup with back-to-back losses, the Royals have won three of their last four, including a 4-1 road rout at North Carolina that was the first of three matches in eight days.

Utah comes back from one goal down to score five straight in a statement win!

Utah vs. Portland highlights presented by @Nationwide pic.twitter.com/d6Z2NTfcTn

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) August 3, 2026

In Lacasse’s mind, all that mattered was the current result. The Canadian international admitted that she went home after Wednesday’s loss, and could hardly stop thinking about it.

She hates to lose that much.

“When I go home (tonight),” she said, “I’ll be very happy.”

Paige Cronin made her first start since leaving with an injury May 17 midway through a 2-1 win over Racing Louisville. Though the veteran captain has made four appearances since then, she was back in the Starting XI — and wearing the armband from vice captain Kate Del Fava, who slotted in next to Kaleigh Riehl in her 100th NWSL appearance — as temperatures touched a toasty 100 degrees Sunday evening.

That was one of three changes Utah manager Jimmy Coenraets made to the starting lineup for the Royals’ third match in eight days, which also included Narumi in a lone holding midfield role and Cece Delzer dropping into midfield with Cronin’s return.

But Sophia Wilson scored just 34 seconds into the match, slipping on to a through ball from Pietra Tordin to give the visitors the edge from the opening minute.

It was the fastest goal league-wide in the 2026 season, edging out a goal by Gotham’s Jordyn Dudley against Chicago back on April 29 and Cronin’s 51-second strike April 26 in a 3-0 win over Seattle.

There was also 89 minutes of regulation left, though. And after a first-half hydration break, the rout was on.

33 seconds, that's all Sophia Wilson needed ⚡ pic.twitter.com/BQRgbhm9qz

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) August 2, 2026

Delzer tied it up with a chip shot from close range after Kiana Palacios found her with space in the 35th minute to chip the equalizer in over Portland goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold.

The eighth-year NWSL pro doubled her tally out of the break, scoring her fourth goal in six matches in the 47th minute to give Utah its first lead.

Lacasse assisted on the goal, which marked her 11th goal contribution of the year for Utah Royals FC — a new single-season franchise record dating back Christen Press in the original iteration of the Royals in 2019.

The Canadian international did it again in the 68th minute, too.

Four minutes after former BYU standout Mozingo replaced Cronin as a second-half sub, the Sandy native scored her first goal of the season by finishing Lacasse’s cross on a dime across the face of goal with her left foot to give Utah a 3-1 advantage.

“I think that left side is quite lethal, with Nuria and Cloé,” Coenraets said. “They all have a good understanding of what Cloe’s qualities are. She can go one-v-one, she can put in a cross, can dribble, force PKs.

“I think we all know the more you do something, the better you get at it,” he added of Lacasse. “And that’s what we’re seeing right now.”

The Royals weren’t done, though.

Miyabi found space on a counter in the 79th minute before crossing the ball to Palacios to set up the Mexican international’s first goal since May 30 — a 2-2 draw against Portland.

Del Fava added another in the 89th minute, converting a header from Lacasse’s corner kick to finish off the hosts’ five-piece that pushed the Royals up within 4 points of league-leading Gotham FC, and dropped Portland to 8-4-6 and sixth in the league.

“I think this shows that we’re here to compete, to stay in the mix,” Delzer said. “Wednesday was a disappointing result for us. But I’m also really proud of the performance that we had against a club like the Spirit, who have been to two championships in a row.

“This is a great result for us, and something we can really carry on to next weekend.”

Utah hits the road next Saturday to face Rocky Mountain rival Denver Summit FC (2 p.m. MT, ION) before returning home Friday, August. 14 to host Bay FC (8 p.m. MT, KMYU/NWSL+).