Utah Royals left Foxborough with all three points on Saturday, defeating Boston Legacy FC 2-1 in a hard-fought National Women’s Soccer League fixture at Gillette Stadium.
In front of an announced crowd of 10,012, the visitors made the most of their key moments, scoring through Tatumn Milazzo in the 33rd minute and Lara Prasnikar from the penalty spot in the 50th minute. Boston Legacy FC responded through Aïssata Traoré in the 72nd minute and pushed for an equaliser, but Utah held firm through seven minutes of stoppage time to see out the result.
Boston controlled more of the ball for long stretches, finishing with 59.7 percent possession and 11 total shots to Utah’s seven, but the Royals were more clinical where it mattered. Utah put three efforts on target and converted twice, while Boston managed only two shots on frame despite their territorial advantage.
The breakthrough arrived in the 33rd minute when Milazzo popped up with the opening goal for Utah, giving the away side a lead that slightly shifted the rhythm of the first half. Boston tried to respond before the interval, but the closing stages of the half became increasingly scrappy, with yellow cards shown to Mina Tanaka in 45+4′ and Annie Karich in 45+5′. Utah took their 1-0 advantage into the break.
The second half began with more edge than fluency. Cloé Lacasse was booked in the 47th minute, and just three minutes later Utah doubled their lead. Prasnikar kept her composure from the spot in the 50th minute, tucking away the penalty to make it 2-0 and put Boston under real pressure.
To their credit, the home side did not fold. Boston continued to commit numbers forward and finally found a route back into the match in the 72nd minute when Traoré scored to cut the deficit to 2-1. The goal injected belief into the stadium and set up a tense final stretch, especially as Utah began to absorb pressure rather than dictate possession.
Discipline became part of the story as the contest wore on. Alba Caño went into the book for Boston in the 68th minute, while Kate Del Fava saw yellow in the 78th and Kiana Palacios was cautioned deep into stoppage time at 90+6′. Boston won four corners and generated nine shot assists, but Utah’s defensive shape held up in the decisive moments.
For Boston Legacy FC, it was another frustrating afternoon despite flashes of promise in possession and a strong late push. Traoré’s 72nd-minute goal gave the home support hope, but the inability to turn control into clear-cut chances proved costly. For Utah Royals, this was a composed away performance built on efficiency, resilience, and two well-timed goals from Milazzo and Prasnikar.
Scorers: Tatumn Milazzo 33′ (Utah Royals), Lara Prasnikar 50′ pen (Utah Royals), Aïssata Traoré 72′ (Boston Legacy FC).
