Wasatch Soccer Sentinel
Utah Royals FC is officially back in the NWSL, since this past March, obviously, but it feels truly official now as the team has spent the offseason building a roster and preparing for the Expansion Draft set for this Friday.
Heading into Friday, the Royals have acquired 12 players, making trades with the Orlando Pride, San Diego Wave FC, North Carolina Courage, Washington Spirit, NY/NY Gotham FC, the Kansas City Current, Portland Thorns FC, Angel City FC, and the Houston Dash. Those clubs are now protected from Utah on Friday. The Royals will be able to select players from the Chicago Red Stars, OL Reign, and Racing Louisville. The Expansion Draft is scheduled for Friday, December 15 at 5pm MT, with the Royals selecting after Bay FC’s first pick and choosing up to 12 additional players.
The Royals have managed to trade for players for each position, and basically have a starting eleven. Here’s the roster heading into the draft, and where each player was acquired from:
Goalkeepers: Mandy Haught (Gotham FC), Carly Nelson (Orlando Pride)
Defenders: Kaleigh Riehl (San Diego Wave), Madison Pogarch (San Diego Wave), Kate Del Fava (KC Current)
Midfielders: Mikayla Cluff (Orlando Pride), Michele Vasconcelos (Portland Thorns), Emily Gray (North Carolina Courage), Frankie Tagliaferri (North Carolina Courage)
Forwards: Hannah Betford (Portland Thorns), Imani Dorsey (Gotham FC), Cameron Tucker (Houston Dash)
