Here's what Amy Rodriguez's 'Royals DNA' will be in Utah's return to NWSL

“My motto for the group this year is, take care of each other and take care of the ball,” Rodriguez said.

With two weeks left until the season opener March 16, Utah Royals FC coach Amy Rodriguez is hard at work trying to instill “Royals DNA” into her expansion team re-joining the National Women’s Soccer League for the first time since 2020.

That DNA has a simple slogan.

“My motto for the group this year is, take care of each other and take care of the ball,” Rodriguez said. “We’re making sure we take care of the ball, we win the ball back aggressively, and I’m excited to hopefully have the ball a lot this year.”

The Royals will try to implement that style of play beginning Saturday, when it hosts the University of Utah women’s soccer program in a preseason friendly — and takes a crucial step toward preparing for that home opener in mid-March against the Chicago Red Stars.

It’s a contrast for Utah, which moves from a preseason that included a team-bonding trip to Cancun and a handful of closed-door scrimmages against RSL Academy teams to game-planning for a physical opponent.

Little is expected of the Royals under first-year coach Rodriguez, the first-time professional head coach with limited experience at a small college in North Carolina and her alma mater USC.

But that’s what makes for an exciting project in restarting a club that played three seasons before relocating to Kansas City amid ownership changes with sister club Real Salt Lake, Rodriguez added.

“The beginning of the preseason has been all about focusing on ourselves. Without opponents on the calendar, we’ve been able to really dial into Royals DNA,” she said. “I’ve been appreciative of that because as an expansion team, you don’t have any DNA; you’re creating everything from scratch. We’re building our identity, relationships, trust on the field, chemistry within players — and I’m so excited for how the group is coming together. I know it’s a long process, but we have high hopes for this year … We’re enjoying the climb right now, and I can’t wait to take on Chicago March 16.”

We caught up with Rodriguez, as well as forward Hannah Betfort, to discuss the preseason, adapting to a new culture in Utah, and bringing back the Royals to a fanbase that missed it desperately over the past few years.

Listen to the conversation on Salt City FC, where ever you get podcasts.