Real Monarchs 1 vs. Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC 3
July 4, 2021; Weidner Field
Real Monarchs (2-6-4, 10 points); Colorado Springs Switchbacks (5-3-2, 17 points)
Man of the Match: Aris Briggs scored his second goal in two games during just his second professional start. Fellow forward Douglas Martinez broke out down the right flank, attracting Colorado’s defenders to leave Briggs wide open in the box. Sliding through towards the cross, Briggs deflected the ball into the back of the net. The forward achieved an 87.5 percent passing accuracy while putting up a third of the team’s shots on target.
Telling Stat: Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC goalkeeper Sean Melvin was forced to make five saves to keep Real Monarchs from finding goal. Late in the second half it seemed as if the Monarchs were knocking on the door when they were awarded a penalty kick, but Melvin outstretched his body to make the save on Noah Powder’s kick.
What You Missed: Sixteen-year-old goalkeeper Jeff Dewsnup made his return to the lineup after suffering a concussion several weeks ago that saw him sidelined for the following matches. In his first game back Dewsnup made a career-high six saves, double his previous high in just his fifth professional match.
So What: Real Monarchs see their three-game consecutive win streak come to an end, having earned five points during that period. Despite being in last place in the Mountain Division the Monarchs are just four points out of playoff contention. The team will look to bounce back and move further up in the standings later this week when they return home to Zions Bank Stadium to host El Paso Locomotive on Friday, July 9 at 8:00 p.m. MT.
