Match review: Royals dominate in 3-0 win at Seattle, RSL falls to LA in Utah soccer doubleheader
Royals regain key players and move up the standings while RSL loses its second straight
URFC forward Paige Monaghan-Cronin (4) celebrates her goal in the first minute of her 2026 match debut. | Emma Corona Real Salt Lake and Utah Royals FC each battled on the road Sunday in an exciting West Coast doubleheader. URFC headed to Lumen Field in Seattle to take on the Reign, earning a commanding 3-0 win, while RSL traveled to LA Galaxy, falling 2-1 after a late penalty for the home side broke the deadlock.
Utah Royals dominate in Seattle, RSL unable to bounce back in Los Angeles Real Salt Lake closed out its first three-match week of the season, looking to bounce back after the difficult 0-2 loss to Inter Miami CF at home on Wednesday. After battling back from conceding an early goal, 19-year-old Zavier Gozo scored the equalizer for the Claret-and-Cobalt in stoppage time, sending both sides into the locker room deadlocked at 1-1. With just five minutes remaining in regulation, the Galaxy was awarded a penalty, putting the home side up 2-1 and handing RSL its second consecutive loss for the first time in 2026, and just the 19th of the 192-game Pablo Mastroeni era.
In Seattle, Utah Royals FC started off its match on fire, and just 54 seconds in, Japanese attacker Mina Tanaka took advantage of a poor goal kick, taking over possession in the box before sending it to forward Paige Cronin, whose perfectly-placed ball marked a historic goal in the Royals’ six-season history as the earliest ever. Just six minutes later, midfielder Narumi Miura scored from long range to give the visitors an early 2-0 lead. The Royals finished out the first half on a high, scoring a third goal in stoppage time to take a 3-0 halftime lead.
URFC continued its strong form, keeping the home side scoreless in the match to earn its first win at Seattle since 2019. Quotable: “We’ve got to overcome and own what we can control. As a group we need to own everything and put our best foot forward to do our best in this next match against Portland,” RSL Head coach Mastroeni said.
Continue to the original source for the full article.