Daniel Obinyan
Saturday, September 13, 2025
Real Monarchs renew its pursuit of postseason legacy, and ambitions of historical grandeur, again at the weekend.
The Claret-and-Cobalt have never successfully qualified for a playoff spot throughout the MLS Next Pro era, and are yet to appear at all in any playoff round since the maiden USL Championship triumph in 2019, but head coach Mark Lowry’s men presently find themselves in pole position (sitting in fourth place) and merely four games away from a first postseason appearance in six years.
The next assignment for Lowry’s men features familiar home comfort in a return to Zions Bank Stadium for a blockbuster ‘4th v 5th’ clash against Ventura County, in a contest between two teams with strong playoff aspirations and prospects, separated by merely a single point in the table.
The Monarchs return to Sunday’s action in the wake of a disappointing, narrow defeat last time out, where a late goal from midfielder Lineker Rodrigues, on his debut, ultimately proved insufficient in a shock 2-1 setback to West-bottom-placed Sporting Kansas City II.
Thus, in the aftermath of last week’s upset to the conference’s table proppers, the onus now presses down on Lowry and his team to rebound and get their playoff qualification pushed swiftly back on track now at this regular season’s conclusive juncture.
In the fulfilment of that goal, the Monarchs boss will be helped by a few key returnees and crucial factors, including the advantages of familiar surroundings, which should help tip his side back to their best.
Our latest edition of the Monarchs Playoff Preview brings you all the most pertinent information worth your attention.
A blockbuster matchup
Real Monarchs v Ventura County — in 2025 and in the context of the West table — aptly represents a titanic matchup of massive repercussions, particularly at this crucially late stage of the campaign.
Both teams have already met on two separate occasions this season, with the Monarchs stumbling on both occasions. RSL first-team midfielder Noel Caliskan netted the Monarchs' only goal of the game in a 1-2 loss at Greater Zion Stadium when both sides first met in early April, before an enthralling 3-3 draw unraveled during the teams’ second meeting at the William Rolland Stadium in early June, which Lowry’s men went to lose 4-3 in the ensuing customary shoot-out.
Ahead of this weekend’s latest edition of a game between two teams now with supreme levels of familiarity, the Monarchs’ head coach will certainly be boosted by the return of star midfielder Aiden Hezarkhani and striker Marcos Zambrano, both now returned from youth international duty. Hezarkhani, 18, currently ranks second in both goals (6) and assists (3) this season in league competition across Lowry’s squad, whilst new signing Zambrano, 20, has enjoyed something of a revelation since his summer arrival, with three goals in six games including a brace on only his second appearance, in a 4-0 thumping of Houston Dynamo 2 in early August.
Lowry’s men will also seek to find some encouragement from the recent record of a Ventura outfit arriving off the back of four successive defeats (three in regulation and one shootout) in all of their last four matches. The young Claret-and-Cobalts have endured a recent topsy-turvy record themselves, but boast a generally positive home record with eight wins and just four defeats across matches played at America First Field, Zions Bank Stadium, and Greater Zion Stadium this season. Ventura, by match context comparison, have lost five and won only one of their last six away games.
The season’s late stage bears gifts, with the Monarchs currently occupying fourth place in the West standings and looking favourably placed for a playoff spot. But with both teams separated by merely a point, and considering the congested nature of the table’s playoff section (4th - 8th place are separated by only three points), Lowry’s men will head into Sunday with the knowledge that any result besides a win could surrender the upper hand to any of the other teams currently behind them in the table.
The Monarchs' destiny, at this stage of the season, remains exclusively in their own hands.
Remaining fixtures
Lowry and Co. now stare down the barrel of just four (three after Sunday’s affair) regular-season games left before the commencement of the playoffs.
Sunday, September 14th: vs Ventura County FC (6th West)
Friday, September 19th: Away LAFC2 (10th West)
Saturday, September 27th: Away vs North Texas SC (9th West)
Sunday, October 5th: vs Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2 (4th West)
Individual leaders
Goals: Barea: 7 / Hezarkhani: 6 / Dillon: 4 / Wolff: 3 / Mesalles: 3 / Zambrano: 3 / Sandoval: 3
Assists: Mesalles: 4 / Hezarkhani: 3 / Wolff: 3 / Touray: 3 / Moisa: 3
Real Monarchs host Ventura County this Sunday, September 14, at Zions Bank Stadium, in Herriman. Kickoff is slated for 8:00 p.m. MT with broadcast available via MLSNEXTPro.com. Tickets will be available at the door.
