Preview: Chicago Stars FC vs. Utah Royals FC
NWSL Chicago Stars FC

Preview: Chicago Stars FC vs. Utah Royals FC

Published on October 5, 2025 under National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)
Chicago Stars FC News Release


CHICAGO - Chicago Stars FC (2-11-9, 11 pts) return home after back-to-back away matches to take on Utah Royals FC (5-11-6, 21 pts) for the club's Nuestra Ciudad match celebrating the contributions of Latin American and Caribbean people to the city of Chicago. Following the match, the club will host a Lucha Libre exhibition on the stage at SeatGeek Stadium.

Where to Watch

Local Broadcast: Fox 32 Chicago, Marquee Sports Network

Stream: Paramount+, NWSL+

Previous Result:

CHI: Chicago fell to the Kansas City Current, 4-1

UTA: Utah beat Bay FC on the road, 0-2

Storylines

Royal Rumble: Chicago and Utah face off for the second time this weekend, and while the two sides have had a better second half of the season, Utah will enter SeatGeek Stadium with more momentum. The Royals are on an eight-match undefeated streak - the longest in team history - and have found themselves in playoff contention, but Chicago could put a damper on those hopes this weekend. The Stars saw their own unbeaten streak end two weeks ago against Houston, but the club still has a six-match unbeaten streak at home. The team won't need to rely solely on home pitch advantage, as the Stars hold statistical advantages over the Royals in goals (26 to 22), assists (21 to 11), shooting percentage (55 to 46) and interceptions (224 to 192). Utah, however, does have momentum on their side, as well as some impressive first half scoring stats. The Royals have scored 17 goals this season in the first half, making them fairly dangerous between kickoff and halftime. The Stars have been less likely to allow goals in the first half this season, but the Royals also are less likely to give up goals in the second half. As the two clubs cross shin guards one last time this season, the winner will need to find success in the margins of these stats.

Spoiler Alert: Following Chicago's loss to Kansas City last week, the Stars find themselves eliminated from playoff contention. However, this doesn't mean the season's over. With four matches left, including the one against Utah, Chicago now has the opportunity to shake up the remaining playoff spots. Starting this weekend, Chicago could help eliminate Utah from the playoffs with a win plus some help from wins for North Carolina or Louisville. Next week, Chicago takes on Louisville who, if they lose this week, could be going into that match teetering on the playoff line, depending on the result of the Houston match this week. Back-to-back losses for Louisville (to North Carolina this week and Chicago next week) would surely make securing a playoff spot challenging for Racing. Chicago's opponent following Louisville is San Diego Wave FC. The Wave take on the second-place Washington Spirit this weekend, a team that is six points clear of third place, has already clinched a playoff spot and can't win the NWSL Shield. This may mean that they rotate their roster to get some rest before playoffs, but a win for the Spirit could mean that the Wave also find themselves too close to the wrong side of the playoff line. San Diego play Utah before taking on Chicago, so by the time Chicago plays the Wave, San Diego could be below the playoff line, meaning a win for Chicago against the California side would cement their fate. Or, at the very least, mean their fate comes down to Decision Day. Speaking of, Chicago's final opponent of the season is Angel City FC, who currently sit below the playoff line in 11th place with 24 points. A final push could see L.A. earn a playoff berth, but that would require a win against the first-place Kansas City Current and at least one win against Houston (10th place) or Portland (sixth place). Four match weeks remain on the NWSL calendar, which is a lifetime in this league, but Chicago find themselves in an incredible position to affect the final standings. Stay tuned sports fans.

Morocco Bound: The United States Under-17 Women's National named their roster for the 2025 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup, and representing the Stars is our very own Micayla Johnson. Johnson joined the club in January 2025, though didn't attend preseason training until after her first call-up to the U-17 team in January. Since then, Johnson has played in 14 matches for the Stars including her professional debut in the season opener against the Orlando Pride March 14. In April, Johnson received second call-up to the U-17 national team to help the U.S. in three World Cup qualifying matches against Trinidad & Tobago, Honduras and El Salvador. The 17-year-old forward scored a team-high four goals over the three matches and even secured an assist against Honduras and a brace against El Salvador. Following Sunday's match against Utah, Johnson will fly to join her teammates before beginning group-stage play October 18 against Ecuador. Johnson was part of the 2024 U-17 team that finished third in the World Cup that year, the team's best finish since the inaugural tournament began in 2008. The U-17 World Cup takes place between October 17-November 8 and will feature 24 nations divided into six groups of four. While the Stars will miss Micayla on the pitch, all of her teammates, coaches and the rest of the organization will be cheering her and the U.S. along!

Check out the Chicago Stars FC Statistics

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National Women's Soccer League Stories from October 5, 2025


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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