Real Monarchs at Los Angeles Football Club 2
August 25, 2023; Titan Stadium; Fullerton, California
Real Monarchs (7-12-5, 28 points; 12th West) at LAFC2 (4-13-7, 19 points; 14th West)
What You Missed: LAFC2 created the majority of scoring opportunities in the first half, forcing Monarchs debutant goalkeeper **Will Mackay** to make a plethora of saves to keep the match tied 0-0 after 45 minutes. Throughout the majority of the second half neither side was able to create dangerous looks in and around the 18-yard-box as the match drew into a stalemate. Real Salt Lake Homegrown Axel Kei would finally break the stalemate in the 89th minute as he slithered through multiple LAFC2 defenders before slotting a well placed shot past the LAFC2 keeper.
Man of the Match: Coming off a victorious gold medal match at the U-15 CONCACAF Championship, 15-year-old goalkeeper **Will Mackay** was confident and comfortable in his professional debut between the sticks. The RSL Academy product made three saves in the 1-0 win against LAFC2, including a number of veteran-like decisions in the opening 20 minutes of the match. Mackay was not afraid to come off his line to prevent LAFC2 from exploiting the open space behind the Monarchs defense, eliminating several goal threats.
Telling Stats: Real Monarchs arrived at Titan Stadium unbeaten in their last three matches having secured points against Earthquakes II, North Texas SC and Galaxy II to keep their playoff hopes alive. Needing a win on the road the Real Monarchs defeated LAFC2 to move to an impressive 6W-5L-1D on the road, one of the best away records in the league. With the win over Los Angeles the Monarchs top their six win total from the team's inaugural MLS NEXT Pro campaign.
What’s Next?: Real Monarchs return home to Utah to take on the Vancouver Whitecaps next Friday, September 1 with kickoff set for 8:00 p.m. MT. The two teams last faced off in June, with the Whitecaps taking all three points with a narrow 1-0 victory.
