Real Monarchs SLC Sign Former Charleston Duo; Cosmos Defender
Monarchs Ink Portillo and Chang to Bolster Midfield; Add Diosa to Strengthen Backline
SANDY, Utah (November 29, 2017) – Real Monarchs SLC today announced the signing of three players to bolster an already impressive group of returning players from Head Coach Mark Briggs’ 2017 Regular Season Championship Shield winning roster. Midfielders Justin Portillo and Maikel Chang along with defender David Diosa are set to join the club for the 2018 season pending United Soccer League and Federation approval. Both Portillo and Chang come to the Monarchs from the Charleston Battery after helping the Battery to a second-place finish during the 2017 regular season in the USL’s Eastern Conference.
“In a competitive market that is the USL, we feel very fortunate to have landed these men this offseason,” Monarchs assistant General Manager Dan Egner said of the new signings.
Portillo comes to Utah after spending the 2016 and 2017 seasons with the Charleston Battery, earning USL All-League Second team honors for his performance during the 2017 regular season that saw him feature in 33 matches for the Battery, all of which were starts. The 25-year-old notched four goals and six assists in 2970 minutes, tying with teammate Taylor Mueller for the most minutes played for the Battery in 2017.
“Portillo comes to us from Charleston with an opportunity to shine in a new environment,” Egner said. “We think his leadership will come through on and off the field.”
A native of Havana, Cuba, Chang joins the Monarchs after a successful season spent with the Charleston Battery where he scored four goals and assisted 10 times in 2437 total minutes played – good for the second most minutes on the Battery roster. Chang made 28 starts in 2017 operating on the left side of the midfield.
“Chang is a proven commodity in this league and he fits the age range we’re trying to grow and progress at the club,” Egner explained. “He’s had success every year wherever he’s playing and he brings that leadership going forward that will really benefit us on the attack.”
A native of Medellín, Colombia, Diosa comes to the Monarchs from the New York Cosmos after completing a successful season in the North American Soccer League (NASL) where the Cosmos fell to the San Francisco Deltas in the NASL Cup final. The 24-year-old only featured in one match for the Cosmos due to an injury sustained early last season.
Ahead of his time with the Cosmos first team, Diosa spent time with the U-18 and U-23 sides before becoming a presence in the Cosmos lineup in 2016 where he featured in 23 games making 11 starts. The 2016 season was his best year as a professional having scored and assisted three times, including a NASL Goal of the Year nomination.
“Diosa is a player we’ve had our eye on for a very long time. We tried to land him last season but it didn’t pan out so we’re excited to have him now,” Egner said. “He’s come back from his injury really well and the style and energy he’ll bring to the side will be incredibly valuable.”
Player Information
Name Justin PortilloMaikel ChangDavid Diosa
Position: Midfielder Midfielder Defender
Height: 5’6” 5’10” 5’6”
Weight: 134 lbs 174 lbs 138 lbs
Born: 9/9/1992 (25 yo) 4/18/1991 (26 yo) 12/04/1992 (24 yo)
Hometown: New Orleans, LA Havana, Cuba Medellín, Colombia
Last Club: Charleston Battery Charleston Battery New York Cosmos
With the addition of Portillo, Chang and Diosa, the Real Monarchs roster is as follows by position:
Goalkeepers: (1) Andrew Putna
Defenders: (3) Michael Gallagher, James Moberg, David Diosa
Midfielders: (7) Danny Cruz, Charlie Adams, Karsten Hanlin, Sebastian Velasquez, Andrew Brody, Justin Portillo, Maikel Chang
Forwards: (2) Chandler Hoffman, Juan Mare
