After four matchdays, Utah Royals sit at the bottom of the table with just one point, earned from a draw against Bay FC on MD1. Their next opponent, Chicago Stars, are near the bottom but have collected three points thanks to a win last weekend. With both sides eager to secure a much-needed victory, this promises to be an interesting NWSL match-up. Let’s find out about the potential line-ups, statistics and where to watch Utah Royals vs. Chicago Stars.
Utah Royals vs. Chicago Stars: Team News & Possible Line-ups
The possible line-ups are derived from previous match days. We take into consideration how strong the opponents are, what players are injured and of course team news before the match.
Team News Utah Royals
Availability report (updated on the 12th of April):
Out: Olivia Griffitts (Maternity Leave), Cloe Lacasse (SEI – Knee), Alex Loera (SEI – Knee), Tatumn Milazzo (SEI – knee), Paige Monaghan (foot), Kaleigh Riehl (lower leg), Mina Tanaka (upper leg)
Questionable: Macey Fraser (illness)
International Duty: None
What the coach has to say:
Jimmy Coenraets spoke to the press after suffering another loss. It was close this time, against Portland Thorns, as they only found the net once and The Royals had a few good spells:
How is the moral of the team after the loss: “It’s hard to say. If you compare today to two weeks ago, I agree: you lose three games, but this is another game. This time you created opportunities, and I think that was a big difference with two or three weeks ago.
“You’re competing, you’re in the game and you’re doing what you have to do. Then you concede a very stupid goal, and you have to be chasing. I think it’s a bit of the same image but this time you create something. In the box we just have to score that goal, we really had opportunities today. Moral? Just keep on working.”
On the first half performance: “It’s a mental something. If you concede a goal, all of the sudden you start chasing instead of being dominant. We are just not the team that very easily finds the solutions themselves. We have to be helped from the sideline. Which is fine. We do a very good job for 40 minutes and then you concede. In their heads it’s just something that happens. You now not have to score one goal but have to score two goals, when it’s already very hard for us to score a goal.
“From a technical point of view, you might need to change stuff but at the end of the day you just notice that the second half is how you should have started the game. It’s not a technical change; it’s getting into the first half straight away.
Our prediction of the Starting IX for Utah Royals vs. Chicago Stars:
- McGlynn
- Thomsen
- Fava
- Tejada
- Pogarch
- Colohan
- Zornoza
- Mozingo
- Sentnor
- St. Georges
- SolĂłrzano
Team News Chicago Stars
Chicago Stars removed Ava Cook from the Season Ending Injury List before the match against Bay FC last weekend. The forward sustained an ACL injury last year but is now fully recovered and ready to start her fourth season with the club.
Availability report (updated on the 12th of April):
Out: Jenna Bike (thigh), Natalia Kuikka (D45 – knee), Mallory Swanson (excused absence)
Questionable: None
International Duty: Micayla Johnson (USYNT U-17)
What the coach has to say:
Chicago Stars started the season with a 6-0 loss to Orlando Pride and it’s hard to come back from that mentally. Since then, the team lost two other games but secured their first win over Bay FC last weekend. At the start of the season head coach Donaldson said:
On reaching the play-offs and building on that momentum: “We have to be better because the league is getting better. We can’t talk about last season, we have to move on and we have to close that chapter. It’s on us, myself as coach and the players, to have a better season than last year.”
Our prediction of the Starting IX for Chicago Stars against Utah Royals:
- Naeher
- Malham
- Staab
- Roccaro
- Biegalski
- Grosso
- Franklin
- LĂłpez
- Joseph
- Ludmila
- Schlegel
Utah Royals vs. Chicago Stars: Previous Meetings & Stats
Utah Royals joined the NWSL in the 2024 season, experiencing the league for the first time. Chicago Stars won both their encounters with the Royals, but with both teams struggling to find their footing this season, anything can happen.
Utah have yet to secure their first win of the campaign, though they showed significant improvement in their form against Portland Thorns. Meanwhile, Chicago Stars earned their first three points again Bay FC last weekend, thanks to two brilliant goals from Ludmila – who celebrated in style with a backflip. Who will come out on top this weekend? Leave your predictions in the comments below!
| Team Streaks | ||
 | Losses | 3 |
| No wins | 4 |
| No clean sheet | 4 |
 | No clean sheet | 4 |
| Over 2.5 goals | 3/4 |
| First to concede | 4/4 |
| First to concede | 3/4 |
| First half loser | 4/4 |
| First half loser | 3/4 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I watch the National Women’s Soccer League Utah Royals vs. Chicago Stars?
You can watch Utah Royals vs. Chicago Stars live on KMYU and NWSL+. More information:
US based fans can watch on Prime Video, ION Network, CBS, ABC, Paramount+ and ESPN, while Optus Sport broadcasts the matches for Australian fans. Then there is NWSL+, but some games are geo-blocked, so make sure to check which ones you can watch. If they are geo-blocked it means another streaming service is broadcasting the game.
When was the last meeting between Utah Royals vs. Chicago Stars?
The last meeting was on the 12th of May 2024. Chicago secured a 3-1 win at home, thanks to goals from Bike, Swanson and Hocking. Tucker pulled one back for The Royals.
What is Utah Royals vs. Chicago Stars kick-off time?
Utah Royals vs. Chicago Stars kicks off at 07:30 PM MT on Friday the 18th of April at America First Field.
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