Utah Royals home opener draws fan base to America First Field for first time in four years
Mar 16, 2024, 10:07 PM | Updated: 10:22 pm
SANDY — You’re bound to see a big crowd head inside America First Field, but Saturday night was slightly different. Instead of Real Salt Lake taking to the pitch, the Utah Royals made its much-anticipated return this season.
“I literally cried tears when they sold the team,” said Gina Fox, a fan of the team.
Natalie Durham, another fan, agreed.
“We had such a good home base that watching them go away was hard,” Durham said. “I had season tickets from the first season we had the Royals.”
The Royals left Utah after the National Women’s Soccer League ceased operations in 2020 and transferred the team to Kansas City. Back in 2023, the NWSL announced the team would return this time under new ownership.
The women’s soccer team made its royal return in front a standing-room only crowd, officials said. Hundreds of people were decked out in bright yellow, red, and blue.
Fox told KSL TV she bought season tickets the day they went on sale.
“So, I’m super excited that they’re back,” she said.
Fans said the team’s return to Utah is marking a new era in women’s sports across the state.
“Women’s sports is massive,” Durham said. “I cannot wait for the Royals to see the recognition in a state that’s really trying to recognize them and put them on a pedestal.”
Despite the support, the Royals however lost its home opener against the Chicago Red Stars 2-0.
