Boston Legacy FC returns to action at Gillette Stadium on Saturday against the Utah Royals.
The Royals will be ending its two-game road trip in Foxboro, coming off a 1-1 tie against the Washington Spirit on Wednesday. Utah lost 2-1 in its first two games against the Kansas City Current and the San Diego Wave.
Though the Legacy may have had more days to rest and train than its competition, head coach Filipa Patão says the team is spending that extra time building its foundation.
“In regard to rest and work [for Saturday,] of course we have some advantage,” Patão told media. “But in regard to the process with the team, we probably don’t have advantage [over] anybody except Denver, because we have a new team and we are working on our process.”
Both teams will be vying for the first win of the season on Saturday. The Legacy suffered a 3-0 defeat against Houston last week after the team had to change its formation and lineup to compensate for the three defenders that were unavailable.
Defender Bianca St-Georges, who served a red card suspension in the last game, said it was a big learning week for the team.
“We can’t practice without adversity,” she said. “So we’re very grateful for the result, in a way, because we know that we’re young, we’re ready to grow, and this is just an opportunity to get better."
Availability
We could see a similar structure to last week’s 3-4-3 formation considering defenders Laís Araújo (thigh), Nicki Hernandez (thigh), and Kaká (ankle) will be out against Utah.
Sophia Lowenberg, Emerson Elgin, and Chloe Ricketts, who was just taken off the injury list, have yet to make their debuts.
Utah’s roster has been depleted due to a myriad of injuries. Goalkeeper Mia Justus has been filling in for Mandy McGlynn, Utah’s usual starter, this season as she recovers from a hand injury. Justus has conceded five goals and made 12 saves in the last three games. 16-year-old forward KK Ream was put on the season-ending injury list after tearing her ACL this week. The Royals will also be without Paige Cronin, Alex Loera, Narumi Miura, and Nuria Rábano.
Familiar Faces
St-Georges will be facing her former team; the Canadian spent the 2025 season with Utah as a forward, recording three goals in 22 appearances.
The Royals recently signed forward Kiana Palacios from Club América, where she was teammates with Nicki Hernandez and Annie Karich. Palacios is las Águilas’ all-time top scorer with 90 goals in 174 appearances. She has started all three games in the No. 9 role and recorded one assist.
The Legacy vs Royals game will kick off at 12 PM at Gillette Stadium Saturday and will be broadcast on ESPN2.
