HERRIMAN, Utah (Friday, June 24, 2022) – Real Monarchs (0-10-2, 2 points, 11th in West) are set to visit 2023 Major League Soccer expansion side, St. Louis City 2 (8-2-2, 27 points, T-2nd in West), at Ralph Korte Stadium in Edwardsville, Illinois on Saturday, June 25, with kickoff set for 5:00 p.m. MT.
Saturday's match, as well as all Real Monarchs matches this season, will be streamed live via www.MLSnextPro.com.
Real Monarchs vs St. Louis City 2
Ralph Korte Stadium, Edwardsville, Illinois
Saturday, June 25 at 5:00 p.m. MT
Game Notes for Saturday’s RM vs STL2 game Available Online
The Adobe PDF version of the 2022 MLS NEXT Pro Game Guide in advance of Saturday’s contest between Real Monarchs and St. Louis City 2 can be found here. Media members looking to receive the document as an attachment or have further questions are asked to please contact Meg Van Dyk in RSL Communications via email at meg.vandyk@rsl.com
2022 Records: Real Monarchs (0-10-2, 2 points); St. Louis City 2 (8-2-2, 27 points)
Head-to-Head: In the first-ever meeting between the two sides, St. Louis City 2 defeated Real Monarchs 2-0 on April 29, 2022. Forward Josh Dolling netted a late-game brace to secure the three points for the 2023 MLS expansion club. Real Salt Lake goalkeeper Tomas Gomez recorded five saves in the match after facing 16 shots, seven of which were on target.
Return From Injury
Ahead of Saturday’s match with St. Louis City 2, the Monarchs will have one of its key offensive players return from injury. Monarchs leading goalscorer, Pedro Fonseca is expected to make his way back into the lineup after being sidelined for the past four matches. In addition, Tyrone Mondi is expected to return to the starting lineup after coming back from injury this past week against Earthquakes II. Fonseca (four goals), and Mondi (two goals) are the two leading goal scorers for Real Monarchs this season. The midfielder duo also lead the Club in shots with 17 and 14, respectively. In recent weeks the Monarchs have had other players return from injury including 14-year-old RSL Homegrown Axel Kei. The forward made an immediate impact in his return to the squad, scoring just 23 minutes after making his MLS NEXT Pro debut against Colorado Rapids 2. Kei also made his first professional start in the following match against San Jose Earthquakes II, playing all 90 minutes.
The Dominance of the Crane
Having only played in five games for Real Monarchs, Aziz Kayondo has been very dominant on the defensive side of the ball. Despite playing in just a few matches, the Ugandan is tied for second in MLS NEXT Pro in tackles won with 23, behind only New England Revolution II’s Jose Italo and Whitecaps FC 2’s Ali Ahmed who each have 24. This matchup with St. Louis City 2 will be the first time Kayondo has faced the MLS expansion side and Josh Dolling, who leads the team with six goals and three assists.
Formidable Foe
In its first year in MLS NEXT Pro, St. Louis City 2 has enjoyed relative success at home, with a 4-2-1 record overall. The Missouri squad has split time between St. Louis University Hermann Stadium in Missouri and Ralph Korte Stadium in Illinois where the 2023 MLS expansion side will face the Monarchs this weekend. The team is undefeated at Ralph Korte Stadium with a 2-0-0 record. Currently ranked second in the Western Conference, St. Louis City 2 has emerged as a strong offensive team, ranking second in key passes, third in assists, and tied for the third-best in goal differential.
