“It’s going to be a great atmosphere,” Smith, the Utah Royals goalkeeper, later would say. “You go to Portland and you go to Orlando and you see the environment and the culture there. That’s what we want to bring here.”
It remains to be seen how many fans the newest National Women’s Soccer League franchise will bring to the 20,000-seat stadium in its inaugural season. Royals owner Dell Loy Hansen and his team believe they have laid the groundwork for longterm success.
In the short term, however, Hansen said he will lose money bringing the women’s soccer club to Utah, building a squad, a brand and a fanbase in what team officials believe is the “tightest window in major league sports ever.