USL Real Monarchs

Real Monarchs SLC Return to Rio Tinto Stadium Saturday to Host LA Galaxy II

April 23, 2015 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Real Monarchs News Release


SANDY, Utah (Thursday, April 23, 2015) - Real Monarchs SLC continue its inaugural USL season slate this weekend, returning to its Rio Tinto Stadium home for a two-game homestand commencing Saturday night against LA Galaxy II, with an 8:00 p.m. MT kickoff. Next Wednesday, April 29, Head Coach Freddy Juarez' team hosts the defending USL champions, Sacramento Republic FC, with a 7:00 p.m. MT kickoff. Tickets for both matches are available at the Stadium box office or at www.RealMonarchs.com, with game coverage on the club site, ESPN700 AM and the Real Monarchs YouTube page. Saturday's match also marks the first of the 12 remaining home Monarchs games to air live on KMYU TV, completing a five-hour block for the station following Real Salt Lake's trip to New England that evening.

Real Monarchs (0-3-2, 2 points) have drawn and lost in two previous home matches this season, tying 1-1 against Portland Timbers 2 on April 8 before dropping an 0-1 home decision against the Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC, despite dominating the possession game. Last Friday night, at Colorado Springs, the Monarchs again conceded an early goal - a trend in the club's early going - before FW Eti Tavares' first career goal equalized. Amidst a mid-game blizzard, the Monarchs fell behind 3-1, before pulling a goal back in the 82nd minute through newly-arrived Uruguayan FW Max Rauhofer, known as "El Tanque." After the gap was narrowed to 3-2, the Monarchs defense allowed two more goals - including a second Switchbacks penalty kick - for the final 5-2 margin.

Visit www.RealMonarchs.com for video and audio reaction by Monarchs players and coaches to the club's first five games, as well as a preview of the upcoming matches against "Los Dos" and Sacramento.

How to Follow Real Monarchs v. LA Galaxy II

Coverage Begins: 8:00 p.m. MT

TV: KMYU (2.2. air / 22 satellite / 22+643 Comcast)

Radio: ESPN 700 / 107.1 FM (English)

Radio: 102.3 FM / 1600 AM (Spanish)

Video Streaming: RealMonarchs.com

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

Monarchs History v. "Los Dos"

The clubs split the points back on March 22 in Carson, Calif., the Monarchs earning the club's first-ever result with a 0-0 draw on the campus of Cal State University - Dominguez Hills. Several RSL loanees - GK Lalo Fernandez, DF Aaron Maund, DF Justen Glad, DF Phanuel Kavita, DF Boyd Okwuonu, MF Fito Ovalle, MF John Stertzer and FW Sebastian Saucedo - made their USL debuts, with Fernandez - who made several critical saves - and Monarchs DF Riley McGovern being named to the USL Team of the Week.

Utah Native Maikon Orellana Finally Eligible for USL, Monarchs

In a highly-anticipated move, Monarchs Head Coach Freddy Juarez announced that MF Maikon Orellana - a Provo, Utah resident who has bounced between the Beehive State, the RSL-AZ academy and the El Salvadoran National Team - is signed and cleared to play for the USL club. Orellana, 21, returns home after two years at Brondby (Denmark), Jonkopings (Sweden), and Alianza (El Salvador), following his June, 2013 departure from Casa Grande. The Utah Youth Soccer Association ODP product played for El Salvador's U-20s at that age group's FIFA World Cup, as well as the senior national team in a friendly. "Mikey," who will wear jersey #28 for the Monarchs, was born in Chalatenango, El Salvador, before moving at the age of eight with his family to Utah, eventually settling in Provo.

Orellana joins M/F Garrett Losee (Sandy, UT) as local products on the Monarchs roster (SLC man Phanuel Kavita, Layton-born Fito Ovalle and Park City's Sebastian Saucedo officially on RSL contracts), while Mikey is the latest of several RSL-AZ Academy products to move north in 2015 with team boss Juarez (M/F Coco Navarro, FW Eti Tavares, MF Ricardo Velasco, along with Kavita, Ovalle, Saucedo and DF Justen Glad, all of whom have seen significant minutes with the Monarchs early on in 2015).

Uruguayan Target Max Rauhofer Acquired, Delivers in Debut

Last Wednesday, Monarchs Head Coach Freddy Juarez announced that FW Max Rauhofer - an imposing target forward, who will wear the #9 jersey - arrived from Uruguay to Utah, just in time to board a bus with his new teammates for a 13-hour trek via bus to Colorado Springs. Playing 90 minutes amid a blizzard in his USL debut, Rauhofer scored one goal and nearly set up two others, combining well with MF Ricardo Velazco and providing significant hold-up play as well as size, speed and strength to the Monarchs attack. The 24-year old Rauhofer has already spent 10 years as a professional, with seven years in his home country and a three-year stint in Spain's second division.

FW Emery Welshman Ready to Return?

Guyanese International Emery Welshman is expected to make his much-anticipated USL debut Saturday at Rio Tinto Stadium, as the forward has missed the Monarchs' first five games - two due to international duty, and the most recent trio of matches due to a knee injury suffered while representing his country. Welshman started the final international friendly for the Golden Jaguars in their 2-0 win over Grenada, which followed a 2-0 win over St. Lucia in late March. During the MLS preseason at the Desert Diamond Cup in Tucson, Welshman scored a spectacular goal on a curling shot against Sporting Kansas City.

Monarchs Learn 2015 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Path

Two weeks ago, hours prior to the club's inaugural home match, U.S. Soccer released the 2015 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup pairings for the First and Second Round, delineating the path for the Monarchs as well as fellow USL teams. Head Coach Freddy Juarez (WATCH his Wednesday post-game press conference) and his team learned that it will enter America's oldest tourney on Wednesday, May 20, against the winner of the Brooklyn Italians (NPSL) and the Long Island Rough Riders (PDL), who face each other one week prior on May 13. Should favored Long Island win, the Monarchs will have to travel across the country for the club's first-ever Open Cup game; if the Brooklyn Italians manage the upset, Rio Tinto Stadium will host the Monarchs against RSL President Bill Manning's former team, with whom he won the Open Cup title back in 1991. RSL and the other 16 U.S.-based MLS teams will enter the tourney on June 16/17, at the Fourth Round / Round of 32 stage.

Check out the Real Monarchs Statistics



United Soccer League Championship Stories from April 23, 2015


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central