HERRIMAN, Utah (Saturday, April 23, 2022) – Real Monarchs (0-2-1,1 point, 11th in West) travel to face Timbers 2 (0-2-1, 2 points, 9th in West) at Hillsboro Stadium on Sunday, April 24 with kickoff set for 7:00 p.m. MT, as the Club looks to earn its first win in MLS NEXT Pro.
Sunday’s match, as well as all Real Monarchs matches this season, will be streamed live via www.MLSnextPro.com.
Real Monarchs vs Timbers 2Hillsboro Stadium, Hillsboro, OregonSunday, April 24 at 7:00 p.m. MT
Game Notes for Friday’s RM vs POR game Available Online
The Adobe PDF version of the 2022 MLS NEXT Pro Game Guide in advance of Sunday’s contest between Real Monarchs and Timbers 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 (0-2-1, 1 point); Timbers 2 (0-2-1, 2 points)
Head-to-Head: Prior to joining MLS NEXT Pro, Real Monarchs and Timbers 2 both competed in the USL Championship, during which the Monarchs and Timbers 2 were equally matched, posting a 5-5-3 record all-time. Most recently, Real Monarchs defeated Timbers 2 5-1 in a 2019 USL regular-season match behind four goals from Douglas Martinez and another from Kyle Coffee.
THE BOYS ARE BACKReal Monarchs return to MLS NEXT Pro play after having its first bye week of the season. Many of the Monarchs players spent the last week with the Real Salt Lake Academy in Frisco, Texas participating in the 2022 Generation Adidas Cup. Defender Luis Rivera led the way for all Monarchs players in GA Cup, earning Best XI honors. Additionally, fellow defenders Bobby Pierre and Pierre Reedy made their first starts with Real Salt Lake in the third round of U.S. Open Cup.
FOR CLUB AND COUNTRY
Goalkeeper Gavin Beavers and defender Luis Rivera were called to represent the United States Youth National Teams. Beavers will travel to Carson, California to join the U-19 Camp from April 22 to May 1. Meanwhile, Rivera is in Italy with the U-15 National Team, joined by fellow RSL Academy product, Zavier Gozo, for the Torneo delle Nazioni from April 24 to May 1. This is Beavers first call up to the national ranks and Rivera’s second, but his first ever international tournament. As a result, Beavers and Rivera will miss the Monarchs next two matches, Sunday, April 24 against Timbers 2 and Friday, April 29 versus St. Louis City 2.
AYE AYE CAPTAIN
Captain Pedro Fonseca has been a leader on the offensive end for the Monarchs to start the season, netting three of the Club’s four goals thus far, two of which were penalty kicks against Whitecaps FC 2. Fonseca is currently tied for third in goals scored within MLS NEXT Pro, only behind Houston Dynamo 2’s Robert Avila and Tacoma Defiance’s Alfonso Ocampo-Chavez. At the University of Louisville Fonseca scored 15 goals and tallied 16 assists, and now he leads the Monarchs with his three goals. He also leads Real Monarchs in key passes with five and eight shots.
