Utah Royals will contest their first NWSL semifinal when they visit the Washington Spirit at Audi Field on Saturday, 14 November. Utah's official preview, published on 11 November, gives kick-off as 10am Mountain time, or 7pm in Jerusalem. The fixture is part of the league's confirmed semifinal programme.
A historic first playoff run
Utah advanced through a 1–0 away win over San Diego in the quarterfinals. Kiana Palacios scored in the 30th minute from a Cloé Lacasse assist, while Mandy McGlynn kept a clean sheet. The club describes that result as both its first victory over San Diego and a successful opening match in its first postseason campaign. Reaching the next round therefore marks a specific club milestone, rather than merely another league win.
Washington finished the regular season with 55 points, eight more than Utah's 47. The Spirit then beat Portland Thorns 4–1 in the quarterfinals, with Trinity Rodman scoring twice. Those records establish the teams' routes to this stage; they do not determine the outcome of a knockout match that has yet to be played.
The third meeting of the year
The two earlier encounters offer different reference points. At Audi Field on 25 March, Mina Tanaka's 84th-minute equaliser earned Utah a 1–1 draw. Washington then won 1–0 in Utah on 29 July through Rodman. The Royals have therefore already taken a point at Saturday's venue, while the Spirit won the more recent meeting. A championship place now replaces regular-season points as the immediate prize.
Mandy McGlynn during Gotham against Utah on 1 November 2026; archival, not from the upcoming Washington match. Image credit: Bryan Berlin — Wikimedia Commons — CC BY-SA 4.0.
