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SALT LAKE CITY — Canadian forward Cloe Lacasse signed with the Utah Royals on Wednesday, becoming the team's third major international addition of the summer after Japan's Mina Tanaka and Spain's Claudia Zornoza joined in July.
The move brings the club's international player count to 10 ahead of the NWSL season picking back up next week, requiring Utah to acquire an international roster spot in a trade with Gotham FC in exchange for $100,000 in allocation money.
Lacasse joins four other Royals returning from the Paris Olympics, where she scored her sixth goal for the Canadian national team in 37 international appearances. She is a native of Sudbury, Ontario, and attended the University of Iowa for four years before spending the first nine years of her professional career in Europe.
A true work of art when @cloe_lacasse is on the field 🖼️ pic.twitter.com/XYSy6EKFgt
— Utah Royals FC (@UtahRoyalsFC) August 14, 2024
The 31-year-old scored 72 goals in 76 appearances for Portuguese club Benfica — where new RSL signing Diogo Goncalves got his start — before moving to famed English side Arsenal in 2023.
Lacasse and new striker partner Tanaka have 271 combined goals at the club level, providing a significant boost to a Royals squad in dead last in the NWSL in goals scored.
Neither forward will likely be available for Friday's friendly against Crystal Palace at America First Field, but interim head coach Jimmy Coenraets anticipates attacking midfielder Zornoza should get her first minutes in a Royals jersey after arriving in Utah just before the team's Summer Cup finale against Tijuana on July 31.
Coenraets also said Amandine Henry should be available to play on Friday after re-joining training this week upon her return from representing the host nation France at the Olympics.
The friendly match kicks off at 7 p.m. MDT on Friday at AFF before the team returns to NWSL play on Friday, Aug. 23 against Bay FC, also at AFF.
