One Goes, All Goes: Inside the Blueprint Behind Utah's Six Point Week
- Jarrett Smith
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
Last Wednesday night, Utah Royals manager Jimmy Coenraets sat at the podium and fielded questions about his club. The Royals were maybe 30 minutes removed from a tough 1-0 loss in their home stadium in the penultimate match in a busy stretch of tricky matchups that saw the Royals, far and away the surprise of the season, have to measure themselves against a slew of challenges and prove they were not just a first half feel good story.
Despite the tough loss where Utah acquitted themselves well, Coenraets invited everyone to step back and view the long game. This was not just a match. It was a status check.
"Last time we played them (Washington) was the start of our blueprint, was the start of our DNA," said Coenraets.
"Right now there is a blueprint that we need to use in order to see where the cracks are, what we have to improve as a team and I think that's what we did today."
Fast forward to Sunday evening and the mood was different. Utah ran the Portland Thorns off the field with a 5-1 victory, all five goals coming after a Sophia Wilson opener only 33 seconds into the match. The win vaulted the Royals into third place, just four points off the top of the table with twelve matches remaining.
Sunday's win was the end of a three-game week that saw the Royals travel two thousand miles to North Carolina where they thumped the Courage 4-1 before coming back home for the midweek loss to Washington and the statement win over Portland. That's a six point week, an outcome anyone would welcome given the travel, the brutal weather and juggling of injuries that the Utah staff has managed.
Following an up and down 2025, the roster was reinforced going into 2026, raiding the Washington Spirit's pantry for Courtney Brown and Narumi Miura, while doing the same at Angel City and scooping up Madison Hammond and Miyabi Moriya.
They have also gotten trial-by-fire minutes from rookie Kameron Simmonds and made a statement addition, bringing in Kiana Palacios, who left Club América as their all-time leading scorer.
All of those names have found ways to factor into a club that presses hard, fights for every loose ball and can score from damn near anywhere on the field, whether it's from set pieces, transition play or building the attack with creative brilliance.
Attacker Cece Delzer explained that the versatility isn't just something that was stumbled upon.
"I think that's just the beauty our roster," said Delzer after Sunday's win over Portland.
"Our locker room is very much where we want to give each other our flowers and celebrate each other. I think you see that on the field, everyone working together towards one goal."
It would be unfair to condense this team down to one narrow philosophy. They are not approaching every game the same way, trying to bludgeon every door with the same hammer. This isn't a team that presses all or nothing, nor do they specifically play for set pieces and sit deep. In fact, sitting deep might be the last thing they want to do.
"We have this principle which is called One Goes, All Goes," said Coenraets.
"If one makes a mistake, that's fine. If ten others complain about the mistake, that's when a mistake actually gets highlighted."
The three matches this week showed layers to the blueprint for Coenraets and his staff. The win over the Courage was gritty. They found three very different set piece goals and had to brave in their defending. Against Washington, they dictated much of the match and lost out to a moment of brilliance from one of the league's difference makers in Trinity Rodman. And against Portland, they took, as Cloé Lacasse called it, a "punch to the nose" but came back to control the match, and put the game away instead of letting a quality opponent hang around.
"Against North Carolina you had to suffer, box defending was great and all of the sudden in possession you look amazing," said Coenraets.
"I think the team is recognizing what every game needs and I think it's just a joy thus far."
Utah has found different ways to not just win, but compete in games. Never becoming that easy out. Suffering and then turning that suffering right around on other teams. Making sure they know they just had to put in a 90 minute shift. And whether you are on the hype train or still waiting to see, that quality is a valuable one come playoff time.
The Royals earned themselves a week break before heading to Colorado to take part in part two of the new rivalry, and all they can do is just focus on what got them here.
"I think my only wish is just to keep it going," said Coenraets.
"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."
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