Match review: Spirit end Royals season in team’s first semifinal appearance

Utah Royals record breaking season comes to an end in the first semifinal match on Saturday following a 2-1 defeat away against the Washington Spirit. One last record broken Cloé Lacasse scored the fastest goal in NWSL playoff history with a beautiful olympico goal, coming just 117 seconds into the match. In the end it wasn’t enough as the Royals season ended after reaching the semifinals for the first time in club history. Quotable “I think the reason people are congratulating us on a season well done but we were 90 minutes away from changing the narrative and making it a better season. We didn’t lose today, we won today, we came out strong at the beginning of the game and kept ourselves in it for the whole 90’.” — Head coach Jimmy Coenraets on the Royals’ 2026 season. Game summary The Royals started on the front foot with an early goal off a corner kick taken by Canadian international Lacasse to give Utah the 1-0 lead two minutes in.

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