Utah Royals focus on defense ahead of Orlando Pride rematch

HERRIMAN — The last time the Utah Royals faced the Orlando Pride, they did something they haven’t managed since.

They kept a clean sheet.

Utah held Orlando without a shot on target in a 1-0 win at America First Field, but the Royals have conceded in every match since. That defensive slide reached its low point Friday in San Diego, where Utah scored twice but surrendered four in a 4-2 loss to the Wave.

Head coach Jimmy Coenraets didn’t hesitate when asked where his team needs to improve before Saturday’s rematch with the Pride.

“I just think conceding four should never happen in the end result because then you know what happens next,” Coenraets said. “After the game against Bay, we said we didn’t want to concede two anymore, and now you concede four.”

Utah has allowed nine goals over its last four matches, including two against Denver and Bay FC before conceding four in San Diego.

The Royals have remained dangerous at the other end. They’ve scored 11 times over that same four-game stretch, including five against Portland and three against Bay.

Two of those came against San Diego, where Mina Tanaka’s second goal made her the Royals’ all-time leading scorer.

But Coenraets made clear that scoring twice on the road isn’t good enough for a team with playoff aspirations.

“I do have to say against a very good team, in my opinion, but that shouldn’t take away the fact that if you actually wanna compete and you want to be a playoff team, that just needs to be better,” Coenraets said.

Back to Orlando

Orlando didn’t register a shot on target in the teams’ previous meeting, and Cece Delzer said Utah has gone back to that performance as it prepares for the Pride.

“We definitely know this past performance defensively was just not our standard, and I think that Orlando game is a good game for us to reflect on and what it’s gonna take to obviously beat them,” Delzer said.

Coenraets pointed to leading scorer Barbra Banda (12 goals, two assists) and her penchant for getting behind defenses, along with Lizbeth Ovalle’s one-on-one ability, as two of Orlando’s most potent threats.

Banda, who played in Utah’s 1-0 win over Orlando in July, subsequently left the Pride to captain Zambia at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), scoring five goals in three matches before returning to Orlando.

The Pride also showed Coenraets something different Sunday.

Orlando entered its match against second-place Washington having lost three straight, including a 5-0 defeat at North Carolina. The Pride scored early against the Spirit, then dropped into a low block and absorbed pressure on the way to a 1-0 win.

Washington hit the woodwork multiple times, but Orlando found a way to leave with three points.

“They were in a low block on their own half waiting for Washington to do something, for them then to react in transition,” Coenraets said. “I think that’s something new. I know that Kansas likes to play like this, but this was the first time I saw Orlando doing it.”

Coenraets sees that willingness to adapt as increasingly important with the NWSL regular season winding down and teams vying for playoff positions.

He saw a similar change in approach from San Diego.

The Wave typically want to build from the back and control possession, but against Utah they were more willing to play direct, attacking the Royals with long balls from midfield and defense. Utah became the first opponent this season to finish a match with more possession than San Diego.

“I think that kind of shows that they also know how to win games, and I think they’ve shown a different face,” Coenraets said. “They’ve shown a different way of winning games with deep balls coming from midfielders and even from a defender at one point.”

With nine matches remaining, Coenraets expects more of it.

“I’m expecting more and more teams to start adapting to the opposition more than playing their own game,” he said.

Defending with 11

For Utah, adapting to Orlando starts with fixing what went wrong in San Diego.

Delzer said that isn’t solely a job for the Royals’ back line.

“I think for us it’s just locking in and honing in on our details defensively as a whole, ’cause we like to defend with 11 players on the field,” Delzer said. “And that’s the most important thing for us, just to keep them limited opportunities, and obviously no goals in the back of the net.”

Utah brings one of the league’s more productive and varied attacks to Orlando.

Tanaka has eight goals to go with four assists this season, while Chloe Lacasse (six goals, nine assists) leads the NWSL in chances created despite missing three matches early in the year.

All three of Delzer’s assists this season have gone to Tanaka, including the layoff for Tanaka’s goal against San Diego.

“Oh, it’s kind of hilarious,” Delzer said. “I think that we just have a good connection on the field. We kinda know where each other are gonna be. And I feel like she always ends up in the right spots, and I think our relationship on the field has just grown a lot this year.”

Delzer played as the nine against the Wave and helped create Tanaka’s goal by controlling a long pass from Kate Del Fava before finding Tanaka at the top of the box.

“We definitely know this past performance defensively was just not our standard,” Delzer said. “I think for us, just focusing on that this week and, like I said, locking in defensively.”

How to watch

Who: Utah Royals at Orlando Pride
When: Saturday, Aug. 29, 5 p.m. MDT
Where: Inter.co Stadium, Orlando, Florida
TV/Streaming: NWSL+/KMYU