Utah Royals Reach Semifinals With Upset Win Over San Diego

Utah secured its first playoff victory with a 1-0 quarterfinal win over San Diego, ending the Wave’s seven-game unbeaten run. The Royals will face either the Washington Spirit or Portland Thorns in the semifinals; those teams meet on Sunday, November 8.

Kiana Palacios scored the only goal in the 30th minute. Cloé Lacasse sent a low pass into the middle, where Palacios controlled it before striking with her left foot. The goal was the first in the playoffs for the Royals and ended a 301-minute scoring drought for the club.

Goalkeeper Mandy McGlynn kept San Diego off the scoreboard, making four saves for her sixth clean sheet. Her stops included an early block on a close-range header and a save over the bar in the 78th minute. Utah defenders also cleared several dangerous attempts, including a sequence in which three players helped prevent San Diego from scoring.

The Wave had more of the ball, 62% to 38%, and led in shots, 16-8, and shots on target, 5-2. But Utah’s defense held firm as San Diego suffered its fourth straight playoff defeat. Both teams were without a midfielder: Kimmi Ascanio missed out for the Wave with a thigh injury, while Mina Tanaka was unavailable for Utah with a hamstring injury.

The Royals had gone four matches without a win before Friday’s result. Their semifinal opponent will be decided by Sunday’s quarterfinal between the third-seeded Spirit and sixth-seeded Thorns.