Utah Royals FC begin knockout stage vs. Houston Dash

Here we go. If the last four games were treated as pre-season, it’s about to get very real now. It’s game five for Utah Royals FC in the NWSL Challenge Cup as they enter the knockout stage. Their opponent: the Houston Dash, the very same team they opened the tournament against, the one that ended in a 3-3 draw.

The club will look to bounce from back-to-back losses against OL Reign and the Chicago Red Starts after performing well in their first two games: a draw after coming back from a 3-1 goal deficit to earn a point versus the Houston Dash and a 1-0 win versus Sky Blue FC.

But everything that happened in those 4 games is in the past. What matters now is the game ahead. It’s win and play the…