How Utah Built Something Real

The Royals are on a ten-game unbeaten run and sitting at the top of the NWSL table. Nobody inside the organization is surprised.

Utah Royals drew on the road at Portland on Saturday, their tenth straight match unbeaten in 2026. (photo courtesy of the Utah Royals)

Some time after 4 pm Mountain Time on Saturday, May 30, three whistles blew in Providence Park in Portland, Oregon. Players shook hands and hugged and some just plain sat down to mentally decompress. The Portland Thorns had snatched a draw from the Utah Royals to end what amounts to the first movement of the 2026 season.

Contrary to the last two years, Utah ended this 12-game stretch upset not at where they sat in the table, but at the fact that they had let three points slip away in the dying moments. They had snapped Portland's home shutout streak like a cracked ruler over their knee and frankly bossed around the other top team in the NWSL on their own hallowed field. My, how the times have changed.

Utah started the 2026 season with two straight losses. Then at some point between March 22 and March 25 they decided that losing was for everyone else and they did not much care for it. So, as one does, they just didn't lose again. Ten straight unbeaten to ride a rocket to the top of the table going into the break. By the time they return to action in early July, they will have gone almost three and a half months since their loss to San Diego in late March.

Royals manager Jimmy Coenraets had a simple message after the Portland draw.

"Look at yourselves and be proud of what you've done," said Coenraets, relaying the message to the media after the match.

They have all the reason in the world to be proud, and to also want more, to demand more of themselves. But why now? How is Utah sitting here fighting for the top spot in the league?

Kiana Palacios opened the scoring for Utah on Saturday, leveling the score after Olivia Moultrie's opener for Portland. (photo courtesy of the Utah Royals)

To put it simply, Utah is just an absolutely miserable experience to play against. For starters, when they have the ball, they like to stretch you out like they're skinning a mule deer, with fullbacks who cover more ground than Roman infantry on a daily march. Then they find space with a bushel of active and direct forwards who may or may not be operating on telepathic levels when it clicks. Also they have a Mina Tanaka who somehow does a ton of dirty work for others but still finds the time and space in her heart to rack up critical goals and assists.

But that's all fine and good, they cannot have the ball forever right? Let's say you take the ball off of them. Well done! That is your job, after all. Well, now you have an entirely new problem because you have something that they want. They will press you and they will counter-press you. It never stops. They don't stop working. That should be exhausting. It is. But when you watch them play, they look like they draw energy from it. Like some nightmarish looping energy source. As the saying goes, often attributed to Jock Stein: the best place to defend is in the opposition penalty box. I think if Jimmy Coenraets could, he would press the opposition coming off the team bus. They create chaos and conflict. And the Royals thrive on it.

"It's just the style of play we want to play," said defender Kate Del Fava. "I can't give enough credit to that front line of players that we have, the work rate, the dedication they have to the other side of the ball."

Head Coach Jimmy Coenraets (right) and his assistants John Griffiths (middle) and Emily Simpkins (left) in Portland on Saturday. (photo courtesy of the Utah Royals)

And all of them thrive. Coenraets juggles a front three of attackers that just slot in and work hard and create chances. Mina Tanaka leads a consistent midfield alongside two members of the Holding Midfielders Appreciation Society, Ana Tejada and Narumi. The previously mentioned Kate Del Fava has been an absolute iron woman at center back and has drawn more national team buzz in her partnership with Kaleigh Riehl. Those fullbacks covering ground? Nuria Rábano and Janni Thomsen have been damn near lights out.

That said, your best eleven isn't always available and the Royals have had squad members step up and seize opportunity.

The latest example was Miyabi, recently stepping in for Thomsen. Her counter-press on the right side contributed to both Utah goals.

Coenraets said she took it upon herself to find out what was needed, and delivered it.

"Miyabi this week took the responsibility of coming to see me, and brought in a translator to make sure that we were aligned and she knew what she had to do to get into the team this week," said Coenraets. "I think that's something that takes a lot of bravery from a player as well, which you can appreciate as a coach."

For Coenraets, who has seen the good and not-so-good times in the second life of the Royals, it's not just the results that feel special, it's the entire organization.

"I've never coached a group that's closer than this," said Coenraets. "I think we have to give a lot of credit to the staff, the staff that came together as well. Medical, performance, mental, everyone that came together to get the best out of these players and keep this going. I've learned a lot as a person as well, to just give as much freedom as you can if this is the way players are going to use it."

Utah has a month to breathe now. They don't return to action until July 5 when they visit Chicago before beginning a home-heavy stretch of the schedule.

How they follow up this opening act obviously remains to be seen, but between the lines in Sandy, Utah they know what they're capable of.

"We never doubted that this was a special group," said Del Fava. "It might be a surprise to everyone outside this organization but it doesn't really feel like a huge surprise to people inside the walls."