North Carolina Courage 1–4 Utah Royals FC, NWSL Matchday 14

North Carolina Courage v Utah Royals FC

North Carolina Courage9th 21 pts

E. Ijeh 55′

1

1–4

Full time

Sat 25 Jul

Expected goals: North Carolina Courage 3.12, Utah Royals FC 1.81

Utah Royals FC3rd 30 pts

K. Del Fava 6′
T. Milazzo 34′
M. Tanaka 65′
C. Lacasse 90+4′ pen

4

Sat 25 Jul, 7:45 pm EDT First Horizon Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park NWSL 2026, Matchday 14

The match story

Ashley Sanchez portrait — Courtesy North Carolina Courage

NWSL News

Ashley Sanchez returns as a scorer, and a link for others

Sanchez’s Courage season has brought more frequent shooting. Her return against Spain also showed the value of moving the ball on.

17 October 2026

Key moments

6′Goal K. Del Fava (Utah Royals FC)0–1
34′Goal T. Milazzo (Utah Royals FC)0–2
55′Goal E. Ijeh (North Carolina Courage)1–2
65′Goal M. Tanaka (Utah Royals FC)1–3
90+4′Penalty goal C. Lacasse (Utah Royals FC)1–4

Top performers

North Carolina Courage

E. IjehFNCshirt 101G3SH
A. SanchezMNCshirt 20G5SH
S. KoyamaMNCshirt 200G4SH

Utah Royals

M. TanakaMUTAshirt 111G3SH
C. LacasseFUTAshirt 241G1SH
K. Del FavaDUTAshirt 81G1SH

Three per club, chosen from the match record: goals, then shots.

What it means

North Carolina Courage

9thNo change

Outside the playoff places, 1 point behind Angel City FC in the last playoff place, with 15 to play.

Utah Royals FC

3rd▲2 from 5th

In the playoff places, 9 points above North Carolina Courage, with 14 to play.

Season series

Matchday 14 Sat 25 Jul

North Carolina Courage1

Utah Royals FC4

Matchday 23 Sun 27 Sep

Utah Royals FC2

North Carolina Courage1

Utah Royals FC took both meetings, 6–2 on aggregate.

Team stats

NC UTA

Expected goals: North Carolina Courage: 3.12; Utah Royals FC: 1.81
Possession: North Carolina Courage: 54%; Utah Royals FC: 46%
Shots: North Carolina Courage: 22; Utah Royals FC: 13
Corners: North Carolina Courage: 5; Utah Royals FC: 5

NWSL table 2026

Standings →

NWSL table
#	Club	P	GD	Pts
1	Gotham FC	16	+9	31
2	Washington Spirit	15	+12	30
3	Utah Royals FC	16	+9	30
4	San Diego Wave FC	16	+6	29
5	Portland Thorns FC	17	+7	28
6	Kansas City Current	16	0	25
7	Orlando Pride	17	+1	23
8	Angel City FC	14	+8	22
9	North Carolina Courage	15	−2	21

After this result

By the numbers

Utah Royals FC have 5 points from last 5 and are out of form. 1.0 a match, against 1.6 all season. NWSL average 1.4.

Utah Royals FC have gone 4 without a win. Last win: 2–1 v North Carolina Courage, 27 September.

The match on the pitch

North Carolina Courage: 54% possession; 121 possessions; 17% ended in a shot; 31% reached the box; 4.3 actions each
Utah Royals FC: 46% possession; 117 possessions; 10% ended in a shot; 15% reached the box; 3.8 actions each

Where each team won the ball

North Carolina Courage

Utah Royals FC

Where each possession began, both teams attacking right. North Carolina Courage started 16% of their possessions in the final third, Utah Royals FC 10%.

Where the shots came from

North Carolina CourageUtah Royals FC

North Carolina Courage attack right, Utah Royals FC left. A larger ringed dot is a goal. Own goals are not shots.

How each team moved the ball

North Carolina Courage

Utah Royals FC

Passes between 20 zones, both teams attacking right. Forward moves in the team colour, backward moves dark, sideways moves pale; line weight is the share of the team’s passes.

How long possessions ran

North Carolina CourageUtah Royals FC

Share of possessions by number of actions.

Longer possessions shot more

North Carolina CourageUtah Royals FC

Of the possessions with each number of actions, the share that produced a shot. A gap marks too few possessions to rate.

Where play slowed down

North Carolina CourageUtah Royals FC

Mean seconds between one action and the next in the same possession, by where the action happened.

Every recorded action

Observed match events

Every action recorded in this match, where it happened: what was seen on the pitch, not a simulated path. 1,691 events in the record.

Period Minute 99 Only the 5 minutes up to it

North Carolina Courage attack right, Utah Royals FC left. Passes are arrows to where they ended, dashed when not completed; a ringed start is a restart. A dot is a shot, a larger ringed dot a goal; a diamond is a take-on, a square a keeper action. Showing the whole match.

Choose an action on the pitch or in the list to see everything recorded about it.

85 events shown.

Events shown, in recorded order
Time	Player	Team
0:53	C. Delzer	Utah Royals FC
1:45	E. Parkinson	North Carolina Courage
2:18	M. McGlynn	Utah Royals FC
2:47	M. Moriya	Utah Royals FC
5:23	K. Del Fava	Utah Royals FC
7:40	C. Lacasse	Utah Royals FC
10:15	E. Ijeh	North Carolina Courage
10:16	M. McGlynn	Utah Royals FC
13:53	K. Sheridan	North Carolina Courage
14:48	R. Williams	North Carolina Courage
17:28	M. Tanaka	Utah Royals FC
17:32	N. Miura	Utah Royals FC
18:21	M. McGlynn	Utah Royals FC
19:06	A. Sanchez	North Carolina Courage
21:22	S. Koyama	North Carolina Courage
22:10	A. Schlegel	North Carolina Courage
22:11	M. McGlynn	Utah Royals FC
22:59	C. Delzer	Utah Royals FC
23:09	C. Delzer	Utah Royals FC
24:50	R. Williams	North Carolina Courage

Page 1 of 5

Lineups

North Carolina CourageFormation 4-2-3-1

North Carolina Courage, 4-2-3-1, each line from right to left. Goalkeeper: 1 K. Sheridan. Line 1: 13 R. Williams, 18 U. Shiragaki, 25 M. Bell, 17 D. Weatherholt. Line 2: 16 R. Jackson, 20 S. Koyama. Line 3: 35 A. Schlegel, 19 E. Parkinson, 2 A. Sanchez. Line 4: 10 E. Ijeh.

North Carolina Courage lineup: 11 starters, then 5 substitutes who came on, then the team, with minutes, goals, assists and expected goals for this match
#	Player	Min	G	A	xG
1	K. Sheridan	90	0	0	0.00
13	R. Williams	90	0	0	0.12
17	D. Weatherholt, off at 56′	56	0	0	0.00
20	S. Koyama	90	0	0	0.37
18	U. Shiragaki	90	0	0	0.00
25	M. Bell, off at 84′	84	0	0	0.00
35	A. Schlegel, off at 56′	56	0	0	0.50
16	R. Jackson, off at 90+1′	90	0	0	0.33
10	E. Ijeh, off at 84′	84	1	0	0.54
19	E. Parkinson	90	0	0	0.19
2	A. Sanchez	90	0	0	1.06
Substitutes
4	N. Jacobs, on at 56′	34	0	0	0.00
7	L. Thompson, on at 56′	34	0	0	0.00
8	C. Okafor, on at 90+1′	1	0	0	0.07
11	F. Rauch, on at 84′	6	0	0	0.00
33	H. Betfort, on at 84′	6	0	0	0.00
Team			1	0	3.17

Unused: M. White, I. Younce, N. Staude, C. Wickenheiser

All player stats

North Carolina Courage lineup: 10 outfield starters, then 9 substitutes, then the team, with every figure for this match
#	Player	Min	G	A	xG	Sh	SOT	CC	Pass %	Tkl	Int
13	R. Williams	90	0	0	0.12	1	0	1	79%	0	1
17	D. Weatherholt, off at 56′	56	0	0	0.00	0	0	0	83%	3	0
20	S. Koyama	90	0	0	0.37	4	1	1	79%	0	0
18	U. Shiragaki	90	0	0	0.00	0	0	1	78%	1	0
25	M. Bell, off at 84′	84	0	0	0.00	0	0	2	83%	0	0
35	A. Schlegel, off at 56′	56	0	0	0.50	3	1	0	67%	1	2
16	R. Jackson, off at 90+1′	90	0	0	0.33	2	1	5	70%	1	0
10	E. Ijeh, off at 84′	84	1	0	0.54	3	2	3	62%	1	0
19	E. Parkinson	90	0	0	0.19	3	0	0	83%	3	0
2	A. Sanchez	90	0	0	1.06	5	1	1	58%	0	0
Substitutes
99	M. White	–
4	N. Jacobs, on at 56′	34	0	0	0.00	0	0	0	80%	0	0
6	I. Younce	–
7	L. Thompson, on at 56′	34	0	0	0.00	0	0	1	64%	0	0
8	C. Okafor, on at 90+1′	1	0	0	0.07	1	0	0	67%	0	0
11	F. Rauch, on at 84′	6	0	0	0.00	0	0	1	89%	0	0
12	N. Staude	–
14	C. Wickenheiser	–
33	H. Betfort, on at 84′	6	0	0	0.00	0	0	1	80%	0	0
Team			1	0	3.17	22	6	17	75%	10	3

North Carolina Courage goalkeeper
#	Goalkeeper	Min	Saves	SOT faced	Save %	GA	Claims
1	K. Sheridan	90	2	6	33%	4	1

Utah Royals FCFormation 4-3-3

Utah Royals FC, 4-3-3, each line from right to left. Goalkeeper: 1 M. McGlynn. Line 1: 22 M. Moriya, 8 K. Del Fava, 2 T. Milazzo, 14 N. Rábano. Line 2: 17 A. Tejada, 10 N. Miura, 11 M. Tanaka. Line 3: 5 C. Delzer, 9 L. Prašnikar, 24 C. Lacasse.

Utah Royals FC lineup: 11 starters, then 5 substitutes who came on, then the team, with minutes, goals, assists and expected goals for this match
#	Player	Min	G	A	xG
1	M. McGlynn	90	0	0	0.00
22	M. Moriya, off at 63′	63	0	0	0.00
14	N. Rábano	90	0	2	0.00
10	N. Miura	90	0	0	0.06
8	K. Del Fava	90	1	0	0.16
2	T. Milazzo	90	1	0	0.23
17	A. Tejada, off at 85′	85	0	0	0.10
11	M. Tanaka, off at 78′	78	1	0	0.10
9	L. Prašnikar, off at 63′	63	0	0	0.30
5	C. Delzer, off at 64′	64	0	0	0.05
24	C. Lacasse	90	1	1	0.76
Substitutes
99	M. Hammond, on at 85′	5	0	0	0.00
18	K. Riehl, on at 63′	27	0	0	0.00
16	C. Brown, on at 78′	12	0	0	0.00
21	K. Palacios, on at 63′	27	0	0	0.00
4	P. Cronin, on at 64′	26	0	0	0.06
Team			4	3	1.82

Unused: M. Justus, A. Spaanstra, B. Mozingo, K. Simmonds

All player stats

Utah Royals FC lineup: 10 outfield starters, then 9 substitutes, then the team, with every figure for this match
#	Player	Min	G	A	xG	Sh	SOT	CC	Pass %	Tkl	Int
22	M. Moriya, off at 63′	63	0	0	0.00	0	0	1	70%	1	0
14	N. Rábano	90	0	2	0.00	0	0	4	71%	3	0
10	N. Miura	90	0	0	0.06	1	0	0	81%	0	3
8	K. Del Fava	90	1	0	0.16	1	1	0	88%	1	2
2	T. Milazzo	90	1	0	0.23	1	1	0	75%	1	6
17	A. Tejada, off at 85′	85	0	0	0.10	2	2	0	69%	0	0
11	M. Tanaka, off at 78′	78	1	0	0.10	3	3	0	68%	0	2
9	L. Prašnikar, off at 63′	63	0	0	0.30	2	0	1	75%	0	0
5	C. Delzer, off at 64′	64	0	0	0.05	1	0	1	60%	1	0
24	C. Lacasse	90	1	1	0.76	1	1	2	61%	2	1
Substitutes
23	M. Justus	–
99	M. Hammond, on at 85′	5	0	0	0.00	0	0	0	100%	0	0
18	K. Riehl, on at 63′	27	0	0	0.00	0	0	0	78%	0	0
16	C. Brown, on at 78′	12	0	0	0.00	0	0	0	67%	0	0
30	A. Spaanstra	–
13	B. Mozingo	–
21	K. Palacios, on at 63′	27	0	0	0.00	0	0	0	63%	0	0
4	P. Cronin, on at 64′	26	0	0	0.06	1	0	0	50%	0	0
6	K. Simmonds	–
Team			4	3	1.82	13	8	9	71%	9	14