Utah Royals take surging attack on the road against Denver Summit

SANDY — The Utah Royals have climbed into the top three of the NWSL standings, lead the league in goals scored and, according to ESPN’s latest power rankings, sit atop the league.

Now they want to prove last week’s 5-1 dismantling of Portland wasn’t a peak, but the standard.

Utah travels to face expansion side Denver Summit FC on Saturday afternoon, looking to build on a stretch that has produced three wins in its last four matches and 13 goals over its past six league games.

The matchup reunites the NWSL’s two Rocky Mountain clubs, who first met in May, when Utah earned a 2-1 victory at America First Field behind goals from Kiana Palacios and Mina Tanaka.

It will be the Royals’ first visit to Centennial Stadium, the temporary soccer-specific home of their closest geographical rivals. The 12,000-seat venue, located alongside Denver’s training complex in suburban Centennial, will serve as Summit’s home through 2027 before being converted into a 4,000-seat high school stadium as part of a public-private partnership.

Confidence growing throughout the lineup

Sunday’s victory over Portland illustrated why Utah has become one of the league’s most difficult teams to defend.

Four different players scored, while Chloe Lacasse recorded three assists. CeCe Delzer continued her recent scoring surge with a brace, giving her four goals in her last six matches.

For defender Kaleigh Riehl, who made her 100th NWSL appearance in the victory, the margin was significant.

“I think something I’ve been talking about this year is having a confident win,” Riehl said. “You know, not like keeping it close, like really putting a team away, and I feel like we did that that game. So it was really nice to see everything come together defensively, offensively.”

For Delzer, the offense has become increasingly dangerous because it doesn’t depend on one or two players to carry the scoring load.

“I think it’s great that obviously we have so many different threats, so many people stepping up on different days,” she said. “I think that’s just the beauty of our roster.”

Head coach Jimmy Coenraets echoed that sentiment after Brecken Mozingo became Utah’s 11th different goal scorer this season.

“We have different ways of scoring goals, but also different people,” he said.

Denver’s record doesn’t tell the whole story

Denver enters the weekend 11th in the standings with 20 points, though the expansion club still has a game in hand on most of the teams above it. A midweek loss to North Carolina extended the Summit’s winless run to three matches, adding even more urgency to Saturday’s meeting.

Despite sitting outside the playoff places, the Summit have been competitive throughout their inaugural season. Denver has scored 22 goals while allowing 23, a nearly even margin for an expansion roster still searching for cohesion.

Saturday will mark Utah’s first meeting with Denver since U.S. women’s national team captain Lindsey Heaps joined her hometown club following the international break.

But Heaps isn’t Denver’s only attacking threat.

Janine Sonis leads the Summit with seven goals and two assists, while Natasha Flint has added four goals and two assists. Heaps gives Denver another proven playmaker as it looks to climb into the playoff picture.

For Coenraets, the significance of Saturday’s matchup extends beyond Denver’s place in the standings.

“I think it’s a game that is about more than just a win or more than just a game against Denver,” he said. “I think it’s something for the fans, it’s something for the state as well, and then I’ve done my research on how important it is for people.”

Coenraets said that rivalry will be part of his message to the team before the match.

“So something we’ll add to the pregame talk and make sure people understand that if you want to play for a badge, and I think the team has been doing it, this is the extra level that you can add to playing for a badge,” he said. “And it’s showing the people that you want to win these games for your fans, and make sure they understand that this is us.”

It’s still about Utah

Asked how his team prepares to handle a player of Heaps’ caliber, Coenraets smiled and turned the question around.

“How is Heaps going to handle Tanaka, Delzer, Del Fava, whoever you want to name at this point?”

The answer reflected a philosophy he’s repeated throughout the season.

“Denver is a good team, and they know what they’re doing. They have a great coaching staff, some great players, but at the end of the day, I think it’s just us, and we have to focus on us.”

Rather than tailoring his approach to individual opponents, Coenraets continues to focus on the Royals’ process over individual results.

“I’m the proudest about the fact that if you look at maybe the third game this season until today, you’re seeing the same stuff, and it’s getting better and better and more of it,” he said. “I think that’s just what I’m really proud of. The team is executing what we want them to do, and I think more and more you’re seeing the blueprint of what this organization wants to be.”

Riehl echoed that emphasis after training on Thursday, particularly after Utah conceded just 34 seconds into the Portland match before responding with five unanswered goals.

“We want to set the tone early,” she said. “So hopefully we learn from our last game of not setting the tone early, and we learn from that and we can move forward in this game.”

Even with the Royals sitting third in the standings and leading the league in scoring, Coenraets’ message hasn’t changed.

“Twelve left. I think my only wish is just to keep it going,” Coenraets said. “I think keep on focusing on us and just the process more than pushing for the playoffs and pushing for other stuff. That will happen if we do the right thing.”

MATCH INFORMATION

Who: Utah Royals FC at Denver Summit FC
When: Saturday, Aug. 8, 8 p.m. MT
Where: Centennial Stadium, Centennial, Colorado
Watch: NWSL+
Previous meeting: Utah 2, Denver 1 (May 23 at America First Field)

*Note: Kickoff was originally scheduled for 2 p.m. and was rescheduled to 8 p.m. following consultation with medical and climate experts, medical personnel from both clubs and the NWSLPA. The match stream has been changed from ION to NWSL+.