USL Real Monarchs

Real Monarchs Begin Road-Heavy June in Colorado

June 12, 2015 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Real Monarchs News Release


SANDY, Utah (Friday, June 12, 2015) - Real Monarchs SLC makes its second trip to Colorado Springs this season to face Rocky Mountain rival Switchbacks FC which has become their most frequent opponent, having squared off in preseason, regular season, and U.S. Open Cup action. The Real Monarchs are fresh off a 10-day break between matches after having previously played six games in 19 days. Monarchs' match will be broadcast on RealMonarchs.com and Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC's YouTube page with kickoff set for 7:00 p.m. MT.

The Monarchs (1-6-5, 8 points, 12th West) are coming off a 10-day break between its last two regular season matches. The team last saw action at Rio Tinto Stadium on June 3, where it hosted Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2 and battled to a 2-2 draw with captain Lucas Baldin scoring the game-tying goal in stoppage time. That match was only the second time the Monarchs have fought back from being a goal down to earn a result, the first being its inaugural home opener on April 8 against Portland Timbers 2. In that contest DF Justen Glad scored the franchise's first home goal that tied that match at one apiece.

Earlier this week the Monarchs hosted the RSL-Arizona Academy U18s at Rio Tinto Stadium. In Wednesday's match the Monarchs went down early in the first half and then tied it up in the 31st minute when MF Alec Sundly spun around his defender and blasted his shot past the six-foot-six goalkeeper Christian Hererra. DF Jordan Murrell put the Monarchs up 2-1 in the second half with a lovely FK on the edge of the penalty box. A mistake in the backfield proved costly for the Monarchs when GK Victor Rodriguez was stripped of the ball and FW Edgar Duran scored his second of the match and the game equalizer.

Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC (6-5-0, 18 points, 5th West) is coming off a 3-1 win Wednesday night over Portland Timbers 2. Switchbacks FC currently has a two-game winning streak - both at home - and three wins out of the past four matches. Wednesday's match against T2 saw FW Miguel Gonzalez earn a brace scoring in the 25th and 35th minutes of play. Switchbacks FC scored its third and final goal just 90 seconds into the second half by way of DF Shintaro Harada. Timbers 2 pulled one back in the 83rd minute to end GK Devala Gorrick's hopes for a shut out but it wasn't enough to earn a point on the road. Switchbacks earned all three points and moved into playoff contention, leap-frogging both the Austin Aztex and Orange County Blues.

How to Follow Real Monarchs v. Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC

Coverage Begins: 7:00 p.m. MT

Video Streaming: RealMonarchs.com

Social: The @RealMonarchs Twitter and Facebook feeds will provide match updates

Monarchs History v Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC

This will be the fifth time Real Monarchs face Switchbacks FC in as many months with one more meeting in August at Rio Tinto Stadium.

Switchbacks FC has claimed victory in all the previous matches save a preseason tuneup where Monarchs FW Coco Navarro scored the game's only goal.

The last meeting between the two clubs was in U.S. Open Cup play in the 3rd round of the tournament. The Monarchs won the coin flip which earned them the right to host the match at Rio Tinto Stadium on May 27. In that contest, FW Aaron King slipped in behind the defense and buried the ball in the back of the net past GK Eric Osswald. The Monarchs battled back searching for that elusive goal which never came.

International Duty - Welshman and Okwuonu

FW Emery Welshman missed the last Monarchs match having been called up for international duty with Guyana. He and his country began their road to Russia 2018 on Wednesday when they faced St. Vincent/Grenadines in a match that ended in a 2-2 draw. Welshman played all 90 minutes in the first World Cup Qualifier and is likely to play the home leg of this home-and-away series on Sunday.

DF Boyd Okwuonu has played 5 matches with Monarchs after being loaned down from parent club Real Salt Lake. Okwuonu played over 300 minutes with the US National Team U23s in the Toulon Tournament in France where the team placed 3rd after a 2-1 win over England.

Monarchs Prepare for Road-Heavy June

Saturday's match begins road-heavy June for Real Monarchs playing Switchbacks FC then facing two clubs it has yet to see this season; Seattle Sounders FC 2 on June 25 - just 8 days after S2 plays Real Salt Lake in the 4th round of the U.S. Open Cup in Sandy, UT - and Arizona United SC on June 27.

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United Soccer League Championship Stories from June 12, 2015


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