Utah Royals upset San Diego Wave, win 1-0 in NWSL quarterfinal
sportsNov 7, 202635842
No. 7 Utah Royals upset No. 2 San Diego Wave 1-0 in the first 2026 NWSL quarterfinal, advancing to the semifinals. Kiana Palacios scored the lone goal about 30 minutes in after Cloé Lacasse carried the ball and provided a cutback assist, Lacasse’s 11th assist of the season and her first since August 29. Goalkeeper Mandy McGlynn made multiple outstanding saves, a point-blank stop on Melanie Barcenas in the fifth minute, a 61st-minute save after a deflection, and another stop on a looping attempt roughly 15 minutes later, to preserve the clean sheet. Utah reached the semifinal in its first postseason appearance and will face the winner of Washington Spirit versus Portland Thorns. The Royals had never beaten or drawn San Diego in six prior meetings; San Diego entered the match unbeaten in eight regular-season games (seven wins, one draw). This loss extended the Wave’s postseason skid to four straight defeats since their 2022 playoff win over Chicago.
