Real Monarchs 0 vs. Hartford Athletic 2
September 15, 2021; Dillon Stadium
Real Monarchs (4-15-4, 16 points); Hartford Athletic (9-11-3, 31 points)
Man of the Match: Ibrahim Bancé earns tonight’s honors with his performance in the midfield for the Monarchs. In addition to winning four duels and two tackles, Bancé tallied two interceptions and a clearance on the night. Most impressively, the Burkina Faso international recorded an 89.8% passing accuracy on 49 passes, including an 83.3% passing accuracy in the opponents’ half of the pitch.
Telling Stat: 27-year-old defender James Moberg entered the match as a substitute in the 82nd minute, officially marking his 100th appearance for the Real Monarchs since joining the club in 2016. Moberg has recorded three goals and six assists in 100 regular-season appearances as a mainstay on the Monarchs back line, and helped the club on its way to becoming the USL Championship Title-Winners in 2019. He is only the second player in club history to eclipse this milestone, joining current Real Salt Lake defender Andrew Brody.
What You Missed: Forward Yekeson Subah made his club debut for the Real Monarchs as a member of Head Coach Jamison Olave’s starting XI in the match. Subah signed with Real Monarchs from the RSL Academy the day before the match on September 14, becoming the fourth player this season to jump from the Academy to the Monarchs. Before joining the RSL Academy in June 2021, the forward made his professional debut with USL League One side North Carolina FC as a second-half substitute in a match against Richmond Kickers on May 22. As a member of the Academy, Subah played for the RSL U17 squad in this summer’s MLS NEXT Showcase tournament.
What’s Next: The result brings the Monarchs record against Eastern Conference opponents to 0-2-0 this season. Now heading back into Mountain Division play, Real Monarchs take on New Mexico United at Isotopes Park on Saturday, September 18 at 7:30 p.m. MT for the third of four meetings between the division-rival sides.
