Utah Royals Fall to Orlando Pride in Friday Night Matchup

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NWSL Utah Royals FC

Utah Royals Fall to Orlando Pride in Friday Night Matchup

May 23, 2025 - National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)
Utah Royals FC News Release


SANDY, Utah - Utah Royals FC (1-7-2, 5 pts.) suffers a 3-1 loss to the reigning NWSL Champions and Shield holders, Orlando Pride (6-3-1, 19 pts.), on Friday night in Sandy.

Heading into Friday night's matchup, Head Coach Jimmy Coenraets made zero changes to the starting lineup for the first time of the 2025 NWSL season, following last week's 3-3 road draw against the Washington Spirit.

Orlando got on the board first, in the 6th minute, after Ally Watt carried the ball up Utah's left side before delivering a cross into the middle of the 18-yard box. Barbra Banda split the URFC's center backs and flicked the ball first time into the net at the near post.

Utah eliminated Pride's lead in the 14th minute, a result of Claudia Zornoza evading pressure from Orlando's Morgan Gautrat seamlessly in the middle of the Royals' half before placing a perfectly paced through ball to a lurking Brecken Mozingo, who took it in stride. Mozingo dribbled into Orlando's 18-yard box with a defender on her back, went 1v1 with Lioness goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse, and placed the ball into the bottom corner, giving her no chance. This marks Mozingo's second-ever NWSL regular-season goal, making it two goals in two straight games for the second-year professional.

Utah Royals FC goalkeeper Mandy McGlynn protected the level match in the 26th minute when Barbra Banda got on the end of a long ball from Orlando, dribbled into the 18-yard box, and had her shot saved by McGlynn. The rebound fell to the feet of Ally Watt, who had an open goal in front of her, but left back Nuria Rábano blocked the shot right atop the 6-yard box, keeping the scoreline at 1-1.

Orlando struck quickly with goals two and three, as Barbra Banda completed her hat trick with strikes in the 37th and 38th minutes. First, she pounced on a loose back pass, ran at McGlynn, rounded the keeper, and passed the ball into the net. Then, she received the ball on Utah's right side, drove into the 18-yard box, and unleashed a right-footed shot into the Royals' net.

Utah continued to press in the second half, registering two back-to-back shots on goal in the 63rd and 64th minutes. First, Ally Sentnor and Mina Tanaka combined with a one-two to break through Orlando's defense, as Sentnor ripped a shot from outside the box. Less than a minute later, center back Kate Del Fava dribbled into Orlando's half, driving up the field before playing Cece Kizer out wide. The two exchanged a quick one-two, and Del Fava released Kizer, who fired a shot from the right side of the box straight into the gloves of Anna Moorhouse.

The Royals did not relent in applying pressure on the Pride. In the 74th minute, Ally Sentnor drove into Orlando's half, facing up a defender just outside the 18-yard box before ripping a left-footed shot just over the goal. Six minutes later, in the 81st minute, Sentnor again found herself on the left side of the field, playing a low ball across the goalmouth that just missed a rushing Bianca St-Georges, who had entered the match in the 69th minute.

Utah Royals FC travel to Kentucky to take on Racing Louisville on June 6th before returning to Sandy to host the 2023 NWSL champions, Gotham FC, on June 13 in a pride night celebration. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. MT. Tickets for the match are available at https://www.rsl.com/utahroyals/tickets/single.

UTA 1 : 3 ORL

GOAL-SCORING SUMMARY:

ORL: Barbra Banda (Ally Watt) 6': Dangerous attack on the right touchline by Watt who put in a precise, low cross to the top of the six-yard-box, meeting Banda on the other end of it with a one-touch shot into the back of the net

UTA: Brecken Mozingo (Claudia Zornoza) 14': Surgical through ball into the open space by Zornoza allowing Mozingo to meet it head on for a breakaway as she took a few touches towards goal and fired a left footed strike into the bottom left corner of the net

ORL: Barbra Banda (Unassisted) 37': Banda intercepted a pass, burst past the Royals' backline, rounded the onrushing McGlynn with a touch to the right, and calmly slotted the ball into the net

ORL: Barbra Banda (Haley McCutcheon) 38': Banda cut in from the left side of the box onto her right foot and fired a low shot to the near post, McGlynn got a hand to it but couldn't keep it out.

LINEUPS:

Utah Royals FC (4-2-3-1): Mandy McGlynn, Janni Thomsen (Ana Maria Guzmán, 74'), Kate Del Fava ©, Lauren Flynn, Nuria Rábano (Madison Pogarch, 81'); Claudia Zornoza (Bianca St-Georges, 69'), Ana Tejada (Dana Foederer, 81'), Ally Sentnor; Cece Kizer (KK Ream, 81'), Mina Tanaka, Brecken Mozingo,

Subs not used: Mia Justus, Imani Dorsey, Aisha Solórzano, Aria Nagai

Head Coach: Jimmy Coenraets

Orlando Pride (4-3-3): Anna Moorhouse; Oihane Hernandez (Kerry Abello, 64'), Kylie Nadaner ©, Emily Sams, Carson Pickett; Cori Dyke, Haley McCutcheon (Viviana Villacorta, 85'), Morgan Gautrat (Ally Lemos, 72'); Angelina Costantino (Summer Yates, 65'), Barbra Banda (Marta, 72'), Ally Watt

Subs not used: McKinley Crone, Julie Doyle, Prisca Chiufya, Zara Chavoshi

Head Coach: Sebastian Tony Hines

Stats Summary: UTA / ORL

Possession: 48 / 52

Shots: 14 / 13

Shots on Goal: 5 / 11

Corner Kicks: 1 / 4

Fouls: 14 / 9

MISCONDUCT SUMMARY:

UTA: Lauren Flynn (Yellow Card - 50')

ORL: Barbra Banda (Yellow Card - 59')

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