Utah Royals vs San Diego Wave match
The gist
No. 2 seed San Diego Wave host No. 7 Utah Royals in the NWSL quarterfinal on Nov. 6.
It is Utah's first-ever playoff match, against a team it has never beaten.
How it unfolded
- Mar 22, 2026San Diego beat Utah 2-1 in Utah's home opener at America First Field; Dudinha scored in the 18th minute, Lara Prašnikar equalized for Utah in the 66th/67th (the first Slovenian to score in the NWSL), and rookie Lia Godfrey scored the winner in the 87th.
- Aug 21, 2026San Diego beat Utah 4-2 at Snapdragon Stadium, with Trinity Byars recording two goals and two assists and Mina Tanaka scoring a brace (29th minute, assisted by Cloé Lacasse, and 47th).
- Nov 1, 2026San Diego beat Bay FC 1-0 at PayPal Park to secure the No. 2 seed, with Mimi Van Zanten scoring in the ninth minute and goalkeeper Sandra Paños making four saves for her fourth shutout of the season.
Key terms
- NWSL
- A women's professional soccer league that is the highest level of the United States soccer league system.
- seed
- A stage in a knockout tournament with sixteen competitors, from which winners advance to the quarter-finals.
Source: Wikipedia