COMMERCE CITY, Colorado (Sun, August 18, 2024) – Real Monarchs broke through with some late magic to comeback 2-1 on the road against Rocky Mountain rivals Colorado Rapids 2, earning the Herriman-based Club its first road victory of the 2024 MLS NEXT Pro campaign. The triumph came in shocking fashion as, down 1-0 in the 80th minute, Owen Anderson, who entered the match with two goals on the year, scored twice in two minutes to deliver his squad the full three points in unfriendly territory.
The first half was intense but, in the end, uneventful. Neither team was able to muster more than one shot on target but Head Coach Mark Lowry’s Monarchs showed off their chemistry with 259 passes at a 90.3% accuracy rate.
Coming out for the second half, the tension was apparent as both teams jockeyed to break the stalemate. It would be Colorado, though, that infiltrated Monarchs territory with a clever play in the 59’ to take a commanding lead.
Creating chances as they hunted for an equalizer, Anderson absolutely took over the match with an 80’ redirect goal immediately encored with an 81’ clinical finish in the box. Anderson is now tied for the team lead with four goals on the year, joining Matthew Bell. SLC has now claimed eight points from its last four matches, the win adding to last Sunday’s victory over Tacoma and a July 28th draw-shootout victory over Vancouver. Following the match, Real Monarchs is now one of four clubs to attempt more than 10,000 pass attempts on the year, ranking SLC in the top five across the league in both volume and efficiency (88%) when moving the ball.
Passing was the name of the game for Monarchs tonight, led by veteran centerback Erik Holt with 74 passes at an astounding 96% completion rate. Accompanying Holt, a quintet of teammates recorded key passes on the evening - Sebastian Joffre, Anderson, Daron Iskenderian, Luca Moisa and Zavier Gozo.
Real Monarchs next takes the field for the second and third legs of its road trip with matches at LA Galaxy 2 and Minnesota 2 on August 25 and 31, respectively, with coverage available on Apple TV through an MLS Season Pass subscription.
GOAL-SCORING SUMMARY:
COL - 59’ - Rogelio Esparza Garcia (Noah Strellnauer): With both teams on the verge of a breakthrough, it would be Colorado that cut through the tension with a 59’ goal. Pushing up the right wing, Colorado’s Noah Strellnauer played a quick pass across the top of the crowded box. Drawing the attention of the Monarchs defense as he ran to claim the ball, Marlon Vargas cleverly played a dummy as he let it go by onto the backside run of Garcia. Uncontested deep in the box, Garcia easily deposited the finish.
SLC - 80’ - Owen Anderson (Sebastian Joffre): Rapidly pressing high up the pitch as the clock ticked towards 90, Real Monarchs got the equalizer in the 80th. Dancing through multiple defenders along the end line in the box, Moisa eventually played it centrally for a one-time shot from Joffre. Spraying his attempt into the traffic of the box, Anderson masterfully positioned his body to redirect the shot into the back of the net.
SLC - 81’ - Owen Anderson (Daron Iskenderian): Immediately following the equalizer, Real Monarchs smelled blood in the water and capitalized on their momentum to take a lead just one minute later. Regaining position following the kick off, Iskenderian got possession and raced with the ball at his feet down the left wing. His teammates in perfect sync, Iskenderian reached the end of his space before whipping a perfectly-weighted ball to the center of the box. Just one minute after he showed his technique and flair with a redirect goal, Anderson showed his maturity and composure as he tracked it down and finished with a clinical strike into the back of the net.
LINEUPS -
Real Monarchs (4-2-3-1): Will Mackay; Erik Holt; Zack Farnsworth; Keller Storlie © ( Sebastian Joffre, 78); Luis Rivera (Tommy Silva, 46); Jaziel Orozco (Luca Moisa, 46); Griffin Dillon; Zavier Gozo; Matthew Bell (Daron Iskenderian, 62); Owen Anderson; Omar Marquez (Jordan Perruzza, 62)
Subs not used: Omar Alba, Fernando Delgado
Colorado Rapids 2 (4-3-3): Zackery Campagnolo; Miguel Alvarado (Patrick Dormoh, 87); Nathaniel Clarence Jones; Joshua Belluz; Steve Flores; Robinson Aguirre Ortega; Daouda Amadou; Marlon Vargas © (Ricardo Allen Pena Gutierrez, 77); Rogelio Adolfo Esparza Garcia (Antony Ivan Garcia Rodriguez, 77 (Maxwell Simpson, 90)); Colton Swan (Alec Diaz, 77); Noah Strellnauer
Subs not used: Logan Batiste, Kendall Starks, Vincent Rinaldi
Stats Summary: COL / SLC
Shots: 11 / 8
Shots on Goal: 3 / 3
Saves: 1 / 2
Corner Kicks: 3 / 3
Fouls: 7 / 16
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY:
SLC: Tommy Silva (Yellow Card, 72’) 16 total fouls
COL: No cautions, 7 total fouls
