Utah
Mina Tanaka the hope for Utah Royals
The Utah Royals have made an audacious move and brought a real star into their ranks: Mina Tanaka. The Japanese striker, who recently left Kobe Leonessa of the Japanese WE League, arrives at the club with an enviable CV. With 58 appearances and 37 goals to her name, Tanaka brings a wealth of experience and a winning mentality to a team currently struggling in the NWSL. Signed until 2025, she is the Royals’ big bet to turn the season around.
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At 30, Tanaka comes from an illustrious career in Japan. With spells at Tokyo Verdy Beleza and INAC Kobe Leonessa, she has shown her talent time and time again, including a brief spell in the German Frauen-Bundesliga. With 211 goals in 308 club games and 30 goals in 74 international games, Mina is a veritable goal machine. His signing is a clear sign that the Utah Royals are willing to do whatever it takes to move up the table.
Kelly Cousins, the Utah Royals’ sporting director, didn’t hide her excitement about the new signing. “Mina is an experienced player who can have an immediate impact on our team. Her experience will be essential to the development and culture of our young team,” said Cousins. And no wonder. With four Nadeshiko League golden boot titles and several inclusions in the league’s Best XI, Tanaka is a major addition.
Tanaka’s arrival couldn’t have come at a more crucial time. The Utah Royals are in an uncomfortable position in the table, with a record of 2-11-2 and 10 points behind the current playoff line. The team has struggled to find its form, and the presence of a top scorer like Tanaka could be just what they need to turn things around. His nose for goals and his ability in decisive moments will be key for the Royals in the coming challenges.
As well as her skills on the pitch, Tanaka brings a champion’s mentality that could inspire her new teammates. In statements before her transfer, she highlighted her enthusiasm for being part of the Royals’ project and her desire to help the team compete. “I’m very determined to be part of this club, taking the team to the level of competing in the championship title race. I’m looking forward to my journey in Utah. We’ll do it together,” said Tanaka, making it clear that she is ready to give her all for the club.
Tanaka’s signing is also a strategic move for the Royals, who are looking not only to improve their performance, but also to attract more attention and support from fans. A player of international caliber like Tanaka will certainly bring more visibility to the team and could help galvanize the fans around the team. With her imminent participation in the 2024 Olympics for Japan, Tanaka will be in the spotlight, and this could greatly benefit the Utah Royals in terms of marketing and fan engagement.
However, it won’t be an easy road. Japan’s Olympic group with Spain, Brazil and Nigeria promises to be a real litmus test. Tanaka, however, has already shown that he is capable of shining in the biggest competitions, having scored in the final Group D match at the 2023 World Cup, helping Japan beat eventual champions Spain 4-0. Her performance in international tournaments only reinforces her reputation as a top-level player, ready for any challenge.
For the Royals, Tanaka’s presence could be the spark that ignites a turnaround in the season. Her ability to score goals in all sorts of ways and her international experience bring a new dimension to the team. The challenge now is to integrate Tanaka into the team’s style of play and make the most of his abilities.
Utah
Utah Royals FC Returns Home to Host Racing Louisville FC Chasing Eight Match Unbeaten Streak | Utah Royals
HERRIMAN, Utah (Thursday, May 14, 2026) — Utah Royals FC (5-2-2, 17 pts) returns to the Beehive State this weekend to host Racing Louisville FC (2-1-5, 7 pts) for the first meeting between the two clubs during the 2026 campaign on Sunday, May 17, at America First Field. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. MT.
Utah enters Sunday’s contest following a hard-fought 0-0 road draw against Bay FC at PayPal Park, earning another clean sheet while continuing the club’s streak of never allowing Bay FC to score at home against Utah Royals FC. The point on the road marked Utah’s 11th away point of the 2026 campaign, equaling the club’s combined road-point total from both the 2024 and 2025 seasons.
The Royals were tested throughout the opening half, with one of Bay FC’s best opportunities coming in the 40th minute when Racheal Kundananji broke forward on a dangerous run through the middle of the pitch before entering the penalty area. Midfielder Narumi came up with a crucial defensive stop, diving in front of the attempt and deflecting the shot away with her leg to preserve the scoreless draw. The sequence highlighted Utah’s defensive commitment, with multiple Royals players sprinting back to disrupt the Bay FC attack and protect the clean sheet heading into halftime.
Utah continued to remain organized defensively throughout the second half, limiting Bay FC’s opportunities and securing its fifth clean sheet of the 2026 season. The result extended the Royals’ unbeaten streak to seven consecutive matches while also leaving Bay FC winless against Utah through five all-time meetings between the clubs.
With the result, Utah extended its unbeaten streak to seven consecutive matches, continuing the Royals’ impressive run of form heading into Sunday’s home match against Racing Louisville FC.
Head Coach Jimmy Coenraets and his squad now look to build on an impressive seven-match unbeaten streak, alongside multiple consecutive clean sheets against Chicago Stars FC, Seattle Reign FC, Angel City FC, Houston Dash, and most recently Bay FC. The result against Bay extended Utah’s strong run of form as the Royals continue to establish themselves as one of the league’s toughest defensive sides. Utah now returns home looking to carry that momentum into America First Field in front of its home crowd while aiming to extend both its unbeaten streak and defensive success.
Now in his second full season at the helm, Head Coach Coenraets continues molding a balanced squad built on defensive discipline, midfield control, and attacking creativity. Sunday’s contest presents another opportunity for Utah to extend its unbeaten streak to eight consecutive matches while collecting crucial points at home in front of the club’s supporters at America First Field.
Racing Louisville FC enters the matchup with a 2-1-5 record, most recently earning a 3-1 home victory over Portland Thorns FC after suffering back-to-back defeats. Led by Head Coach Bev Yanez, Racing Louisville FC will look to build on its return to winning form and secure all three points on the road at America First Field.
Sunday’s contest marks the tenth match of the 2026 NWSL regular season for the Royals and the ninth for Racing Louisville FC, with both sides aiming to secure valuable early-season points and strengthen their position in the league standings.
WATCH LIVE on Victory+ with Josh Eastern and McCall Zerboni :: Utah Royals FC vs Racing Louisville | America First Field | 6:00 p.m. MT
WATCH LIVE on Victory+ with Kelley O’Hara and Ali Riley :: Utah Royals FC vs Racing Louisville | America First Field | 6:00 p.m. MT
LISTEN via KSL Sports Radio (102.7 FM / 1160 AM) starting at 5:30 p.m. MT
Following Sunday’s match, Utah Royals FC will remain in the Beehive State to host inaugural side Denver Summit FC on Saturday, May 23, at America First Field. Kickoff is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. MT, with tickets available for purchase here.
Utah
‘It means building hope’: USU brings independence to refugee group through chicken coop project
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — Refugee communities in Utah are being supplied with farm-fresh eggs and poultry thanks to a collaborative effort between Utah State University and Utah Refugee Goats.
According to Utah Refugee Goats (URG), their goat and poultry farm supplies refugee communities with reliable, affordable and culturally familiar sources of meat. Thanks to Utah State University (USU) agriculture students, it’s getting some ‘egg’stra attention.
Over the last 10 weeks, Brad Borges, a Ph.D candidate for career and technical education, has been taking a hands-on approach with his students to construct a new chicken coop with the support of a mobile construction lab and a $20,000 grant.
According to URG President Abdikadir Hussein, the coop is equipped with fully enclosed roofs and will increase their flock by 40%, meaning faster growth for the Salt Lake City-based farm. As a refugee, though, Hussein said it means even more.
“It means resiliency. It means independence. It means building hope. Hopelessness is something that is killing the most refugees inside,” he expressed. “I came as a refugee, and hope is the last everything that ever came to mind.”
“We feel like even the birds are happy, like they want to get into there,” he added.
From the student perspective, being able to build a project that will be used to generate money for refugee groups was incredibly engaging and inspirational, according to Borges. The sentiment is shared by Joseph Okoh, extension assistant professor of small acreage livestock.
“It’s a win-win situation for everyone,” Okoh said. One, we are getting the coop for the refugee group, these students are going to learn from the construction of the coop, and not only that, everybody is going to be happy to be part of this community to be able to develop a better coop for better production.”
To learn more about issues facing refugees in Utah and how to support them, visit Utah Refugee Goats’ website.
Via 313 is launching a brand new pizza in Utah and it’s four flavors in one!
The DLX 313 is a large, four-flavor pizza is double cut into 16 slices, making it perfect for groups, sharing or first-timers looking to taste it all.
It includes:
- The Detroiter with smoked pepperoni under the cheese and natural casing pepperoni on top
- The Ambassador Bridge loaded with pepperoni, sausage, fresh garlic, oregano and house-made ricotta
- The Cadillac featuring prosciutto, gorgonzola, parmesan, fig preserves and balsamic glaze
- The Bobo Brazil brings the heat with hot calabrese, sausage, red pepper flakes and Mike’s Hot Honey
Alongside the DLX 313, Via 313 is also featuring a full summer LTO lineup through Aug. 2, including the new Elote Pizza, Meat & Cheese Boards, Banana Pudding and seasonal cocktails.
You can learn more at via313.com or by visiting them at 6163 S. State Street in Murray.
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