Real Monarchs SLC 1 at Rio Grande Valley FC 3
September 21, 2019; Edinburg, Texas; H-E-B Park
Real Monarchs SLC (12-10-7, 43 points); Rio Grande Valley FC (8-15-7, 31 points)
Man of the Match: Midfielder Luis Palma created meaningful opportunities for Real Monarchs in the early goings of the match. Palma only took three shots, two of which were on target that tested the Toros goalkeeper and rebounded off the post while setting up MF Jack Blake with a shot that ended just wide. The work ethic from Palma throughout his night at H-E-B Park earned him Man of the Match honors.
Telling Stat: 88.6%. Real Monarchs SLC held a passing accuracy 88.6% to create 13 chances at pulling back the score line in Texas. The Monarchs resilience paid off late in the match as FW Damian German found the back of the net to keep RGVFC from earning the clean sheet.
What You Missed: FW Damian German tallied the lone Monarchs goal of the night as he found the back of the net just moments after coming onto the pitch as a substitution. The Monarchs lineup also featured three current Academy players with DF Bobby Pierre starting and playing the full 90 minutes while Christian Olivares and Alejandro Silva were on the bench.
So What: The loss at H-E-B Park paired with results elsewhere around the Western Conference moves the Monarchs to 6th in the Western Conference as the battle for playoff positions heats up during the final stretch. Real Monarchs now have five games remaining, three of which will be played at its home fortress of Zions Bank Stadium. Before playing in Herriman however, the Monarchs heads back on the road to play Reno 1868 FC for its third game in its three-game road stretch. The contest in Nevada is set for Saturday, September 28 where kickoff from Greater Nevada Field in Reno is set for 7:00 p.m. MT. Saturday’s match can be seen live on ESPN+.
