Utah Royals FC 2–1 North Carolina Courage, NWSL Matchday 23

Utah Royals FC v North Carolina Courage

Utah Royals FC4th 45 pts

C. Lacasse 17′
C. Delzer 65′

2

2–1

Full time

Sun 27 Sep

Expected goals: Utah Royals FC 0.73, North Carolina Courage 1.44

North Carolina Courage9th 39 pts

A. Sanchez 37′ pen

1

Sun 27 Sep, 7:00 pm EDT America First Field NWSL 2026, Matchday 23

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

17′Goal C. Lacasse (Utah Royals FC)1–0
37′Penalty goal A. Sanchez (North Carolina Courage)1–1
65′Goal C. Delzer (Utah Royals FC)2–1

Top performers

Utah Royals

C. DelzerMUTAshirt 51G2SH
C. LacasseMUTAshirt 241G1SH
M. MoriyaDUTAshirt 220G2SH

North Carolina Courage

A. SanchezFNCshirt 21G5SH
F. RauchDNCshirt 110G1SH
G. PaulFNCshirt 230G1SH

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

What it means

Utah Royals FC

4th▲2 from 6th

In the playoff places, 6 points above North Carolina Courage, with four to play.

North Carolina Courage

9thNo change

Outside the playoff places, 1 point behind Seattle Reign FC in the last playoff place, with four 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

UTA NC

Expected goals: Utah Royals FC: 0.73; North Carolina Courage: 1.44
Possession: Utah Royals FC: 49%; North Carolina Courage: 51%
Shots: Utah Royals FC: 7; North Carolina Courage: 11
Corners: Utah Royals FC: 2; North Carolina Courage: 4

NWSL table 2026

Standings →

NWSL table
#	Club	P	GD	Pts
1	Gotham FC	26	+14	54
2	San Diego Wave FC	26	+11	48
3	Washington Spirit	26	+12	46
4	Utah Royals FC	26	+9	45
5	Portland Thorns FC	26	+8	43
6	Angel City FC	26	+16	42
7	Kansas City Current	26	+6	41
8	Seattle Reign FC	26	+2	40
9	North Carolina Courage	26	+10	39

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

Utah Royals FC: 49% possession; 111 possessions; 6% ended in a shot; 14% reached the box; 4.5 actions each
North Carolina Courage: 51% possession; 114 possessions; 10% ended in a shot; 20% reached the box; 4.5 actions each

Where each team won the ball

Utah Royals FC

North Carolina Courage

Where each possession began, both teams attacking right. Utah Royals FC started 8% of their possessions in the final third, North Carolina Courage 5%.

Where the shots came from

Utah Royals FCNorth Carolina Courage

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

How each team moved the ball

Utah Royals FC

North Carolina Courage

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

Utah Royals FCNorth Carolina Courage

Share of possessions by number of actions.

Longer possessions shot more

Utah Royals FCNorth Carolina Courage

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

Utah Royals FCNorth Carolina Courage

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. 1,720 events in the record.

Period Minute 96 Only the 5 minutes up to it

Utah Royals FC attack right, North Carolina Courage 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.

77 events shown.

Events shown, in recorded order
Time	Player	Team
2:06	G. Paul	North Carolina Courage
3:27	M. Tanaka	Utah Royals FC
3:34	M. Tanaka	Utah Royals FC
4:23	A. Sanchez	North Carolina Courage
6:32	C. Lacasse	Utah Royals FC
7:38	M. Moriya	Utah Royals FC
8:10	E. Ijeh	North Carolina Courage
8:13	M. McGlynn	Utah Royals FC
9:19	F. Rauch	North Carolina Courage
9:21	M. McGlynn	Utah Royals FC
10:54	C. Lacasse	Utah Royals FC
13:17	E. Parkinson	North Carolina Courage
14:08	Nuria Rábano	Utah Royals FC
16:55	C. Lacasse	Utah Royals FC
21:55	G. Paul	North Carolina Courage
23:42	C. Lacasse	Utah Royals FC
24:12	K. Palacios	Utah Royals FC
36:24	A. Sanchez	North Carolina Courage
37:49	G. Paul	North Carolina Courage
38:07	R. Jackson	North Carolina Courage

Page 1 of 4

Lineups

Utah Royals FCFormation 4-2-3-1

Utah Royals FC, 4-2-3-1, each line from right to left. Goalkeeper: 1 M. McGlynn. Line 1: 22 M. Moriya, 8 K. Del Fava, 18 K. Riehl, 14 N. Rábano. Line 2: 99 M. Hammond, 10 N. Miura. Line 3: 5 C. Delzer, 11 M. Tanaka, 24 C. Lacasse. Line 4: 21 K. Palacios.

Utah Royals FC lineup: 11 starters, then 4 substitutes who came on, then the team, with minutes, goals, assists and expected goals for this match
#	Player	Min	G
1	M. McGlynn	90	0
22	M. Moriya	90	0
14	N. Rábano	90	0
10	N. Miura	90	0
8	K. Del Fava	90	0
18	K. Riehl	90	0
5	C. Delzer, off at 90+1′	90	1
99	M. Hammond, off at 84′	84	0
21	K. Palacios, off at 62′	62	0
11	M. Tanaka	90	0
24	C. Lacasse, off at 78′	78	1
Substitutes
3	J. Joseph, on at 62′	28	0
13	B. Mozingo, on at 78′	12	0
15	D. Pierre-Louis, on at 84′	6	0
30	A. Spaanstra, on at 90+1′	1	0
Team			2

Unused: T. Milazzo, K. Simmonds, C. Brown, M. Justus, A. Swensen

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	Sh	CC	Pass %	Tkl	Int
22	M. Moriya	90	0	2	1	70%	1	4
14	N. Rábano	90	0	0	0	62%	3	4
10	N. Miura	90	0	0	0	84%	2	2
8	K. Del Fava	90	0	0	0	79%	2	2
18	K. Riehl	90	0	0	0	93%	0	1
5	C. Delzer, off at 90+1′	90	1	2	0	58%	2	1
99	M. Hammond, off at 84′	84	0	0	1	81%	5	0
21	K. Palacios, off at 62′	62	0	1	0	78%	0	1
11	M. Tanaka	90	0	1	1	80%	2	0
24	C. Lacasse, off at 78′	78	1	1	0	64%	2	0
Substitutes
2	T. Milazzo	–
3	J. Joseph, on at 62′	28	0	0	0	100%	0	0
6	K. Simmonds	–
13	B. Mozingo, on at 78′	12	0	0	1	40%	0	1
15	D. Pierre-Louis, on at 84′	6	0	0	0	40%	0	2
16	C. Brown	–
23	M. Justus	–
30	A. Spaanstra, on at 90+1′	1	0	0	0	0%	0	0
71	A. Swensen	–
Team			2	7	4	73%	19	18

Utah Royals FC goalkeeper
#	Goalkeeper	Min	Saves	SOT faced	Save %	GA	Claims
1	M. McGlynn	90	6	7	86%	1	3

North Carolina CourageFormation 4-3-3

North Carolina Courage, 4-3-3, each line from right to left. Goalkeeper: 1 K. Sheridan. Line 1: 13 R. Williams, 12 N. Staude, 18 U. Shiragaki, 11 F. Rauch. Line 2: 16 R. Jackson, 20 S. Koyama, 19 E. Parkinson. Line 3: 23 G. Paul, 10 E. Ijeh, 2 A. Sanchez.

North Carolina Courage lineup: 11 starters, then 6 substitutes who came on, then the team, with minutes, goals, assists and expected goals for this match
#	Player	Min	G
1	K. Sheridan	90	0
13	R. Williams	90	0
11	F. Rauch, off at 85′	85	0
20	S. Koyama	90	0
12	N. Staude, off at 88′	88	0
18	U. Shiragaki	90	0
16	R. Jackson, off at 62′	62	0
19	E. Parkinson, off at 75′	75	0
10	E. Ijeh, off at 85′	85	0
23	G. Paul, off at 75′	75	0
2	A. Sanchez	90	1
Substitutes
8	C. Okafor, on at 88′	2	0
14	C. Wickenheiser, on at 75′	15	0
17	D. Weatherholt, on at 85′	5	0
21	Bia, on at 75′	15	0
26	V. Bøe Risa, on at 62′	28	0
33	H. Betfort, on at 85′	5	0
Team			1

Unused: M. White, C. Brooks, I. Younce

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	Sh	CC	Pass %	Tkl	Int
13	R. Williams	90	0	1	1	74%	1	1
11	F. Rauch, off at 85′	85	0	1	1	78%	1	2
20	S. Koyama	90	0	1	0	79%	0	2
12	N. Staude, off at 88′	88	0	0	0	84%	0	0
18	U. Shiragaki	90	0	0	0	86%	3	2
16	R. Jackson, off at 62′	62	0	1	1	69%	1	0
19	E. Parkinson, off at 75′	75	0	0	1	94%	1	0
10	E. Ijeh, off at 85′	85	0	0	0	80%	0	0
23	G. Paul, off at 75′	75	0	1	0	25%	0	0
2	A. Sanchez	90	1	5	0	61%	0	2
Substitutes
99	M. White	–
5	C. Brooks	–
6	I. Younce	–
8	C. Okafor, on at 88′	2	0	0	0	50%	0	0
14	C. Wickenheiser, on at 75′	15	0	0	0	64%	0	0
17	D. Weatherholt, on at 85′	5	0	0	0	57%	0	0
21	Bia, on at 75′	15	0	0	0	60%	0	0
26	V. Bøe Risa, on at 62′	28	0	1	2	83%	0	1
33	H. Betfort, on at 85′	5	0	0	0	–	0	0
Team			1	11	6	77%	7	10