The Utah Royals won again this weekend, downing the Denver Summit 2-1. Afterward, the players celebrated in the huddle with smiles all around.
Was it the win that sparked the joyous mood? Of course, in part. But it was also because coach Jimmy Coenraets gave the team a couple of days off.
Coenraets even joked that he announced the team’s break before Mina Tanaka could ask, because she’s always the first to inquire about days off.
Certainly, the league-leading Royals deserve it.
A look at the stats
Utah currently sits atop the NWSL standings, helped by a Portland loss this weekend. The Royals are 7-2-2, and a riding a club record nine-game unbeaten streak.
The Royals have won more games this season than they did all of last season, when they finished 6-13-7 and in 12th place. They’ve allowed opponents just eight goals, tied for second fewest in the league, while scoring 16.
Against the Summit, Kiana Palacios scored her first goal as a Royal and Mina Tanaka converted a penalty kick. Tanaka has contributed to the game-winner in five of Utah’s seven wins this season.
Building a winning culture
So what’s the secret? The players point to chemistry.
“I think truthfully, we keep talking about likability, but I do think when you’re out on the pitch, you just, you don’t want to make a mistake, you don’t want to let anybody down, but also if somebody does make a mistake, we’re the first ones to step up, and someone will take care of business one way or another,” forward Cloe Lacasse said.
But there’s also a sense that this Royals team isn’t afraid of hard work.
“I was speaking to CeCe (Delzer) after the game, and we just shared a moment, like, look, where we’re coming from, like, look where we’ve been, where we’re coming from, how we’re building on everything,” Coenraets said. “And her answer was clear, just keep this going until the end of the season, just do what we have at practice every single time, as much as sometimes it ain’t fun, but we got to do what we got to do, and it’s resolving into something at the minute.”
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Making an impact
The wins are making a difference, and not just in terms of the table. Attendance in Sandy for the Denver match was 19,274, more than double Utah’s season average, which sat around 8,000 a game prior to Saturday’s win.
“I think when we have a lot of people that came out today, it definitely feels like it’s a different type of game, and so hopefully by winning today those people will come out more and watch us play, because obviously it motivates us to keep on going and to keep on fighting till the end,” Palacios said.
Up next for Utah is a road game at second-place Portland, and then the men’s World Cup break. Obviously, a victory would be a satisfying way to head into summer vacation.
“I think the focus is, for me, it’s just to have fun and not put that pressure upon us, like, ‘Oh my, if we win, we’re gonna be first place,'” Palacios said. “I think, honestly, just playing how we play, and just giving it our all.”
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