Daniel Obinyan
History beckons at Zions Bank Stadium — more of it, that is.
The regular season’s final curtain falls — and in earnest, too — but surely this one serves to stir the imagination.
The Real Monarchs convene on the climax of a groundbreaking campaign, and excitement and expectation are, understandably, simultaneously afoot.
The Claret-and-Cobalt have enjoyed a relatively landmark 2025 MLS Next Pro campaign thus far, and, indeed, in more ways than simply one.
Head coach Mark Lowry’s side will appear in the NEXT Pro postseason for the first time in all its years since the league’s inauguration in 2022, cementing qualification to the 2025 edition following a resounding 3-1 away win against LAFC 2 in mid-September — a result which also secured Real Monarchs its first league playoff qualification of any kind since 2019.
Such alone would be an achievement worthy of acclaim, in itself, but the breadth of the Monarchs’ success this term fails to merely end there; far from it.
48 points from 27 matches currently played means Lowry’s side presently occupy fourth spot in the West standings and, at the very least, are now already guaranteed to equal the club’s highest-ever table finish in its MLS Next Pro era. But there remains the opportunity for a historic first-ever Next Pro top-three finish, still up for grabs pending the weekend’s final round of league fixtures.
48 points from 27 games impressively also already represent the team’s greatest point total, while 51 goals scored and 12 matches won each additionally represent record figures in their respective categories, being the most goals scored and most games won in the Real Monarchs’ MLS Next Pro history, and all achieved with still a game to go in the regular season.
“Our younger players [from last year] are a little bit older, a little bit wiser, and we’ve had some new boys come in too who’ve added a little bit more grit to the group than last season, and that’s the main difference.” stated Real Monarchs Head Coach Lowry. “Those are the things that win you games — grit, determination, togetherness, effort — and this group has a little more of those characteristics than last season’s group, which is why this group will get across the line and make the playoffs, because there’s just that little bit more steel, grit, and determination to them.”
The Monarchs head coach had been especially bullish and adamant about his team’s chances of postseason qualification this term, particularly following the ‘Decision Day’ heartbreak that transpired on the final day of the 2024 regular season.
His players took their manager’s words strongly to heart and have duly delivered in a campaign boasting much relative success and accomplishment.
Striker Jesus Barea constitutes perhaps the greatest individual illustration of such success. The 23-year-old was selected by Real Salt Lake in December 2024 as part of the 2025 MLS Superdraft and has enjoyed an explosive first season with Lowry’s side. A stellar performance last time out in an enthralling 4-2 fightback win away against North Texas SC culminated in a magnificent first-half brace, etching the Spaniard’s name firmly into the Real Monarchs history books as the first-ever player to reach a double-digit figure in goals in a single season for the club in the MLS NEXT Pro era. For Barea’s part, 11 goals in 17 Next Pro appearances paint the picture of a predatory marksman, as the top goalscorer for Lowry’s side, whilst also appearing periodically for the first team.
As the regular-season finale looms now on the precipice, Lowry and Co. have cause to boast the demonstration of a relatively record-breaking campaign that could just find another feather added to its illustrious cap if the further goal of a third-place finish is achieved at the weekend.
History chasers no more, Lowry’s young class of 2025 have secured their legacies in stone, the architects of their own destinies, and with a first playoff qualification in six years now on the horizon, the best could still be yet to come.
Final regular-season outlook
The Monarchs currently occupy fourth place in the West standings, but on the same level of points as third-place Colorado Rapids 2, being only behind on goal difference.
As is tournament tradition, teams that finish within the top three places reserve the privilege of hand-selecting their opponents from the final 5th to 8th placed teams, with the last unpicked side of the four paired against the team who finishes fourth.
Fourth place is already the highest table finish for the Claret-and-Cobalt in its history in the MLS NEXT Pro era, but Lowry’s men can secure a historic top-three finish and selection advantage by virtue of a victory in the team’s final regular-season fixture at home against Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2, provided results elsewhere prove favourable.
Last dance: Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2
When the Real Monarchs and Vancouver Whitecaps 2 renew acquaintances — for a third time this season — at the weekend in Herriman, Lowry’s side will do so with wind in their sails and looking to perpetuate some momentum ahead of the playoff section.
Both teams, in truth, will arrive at Sunday on bouts of generally positive form, with both sets of managers boasting four victories in their last five games. The Whitecaps, though, prepare for its trip to the Wasatch Front on the back of a narrow 2-1 defeat away against Western Conference opponent, The Town FC last time out, while Lowry’s men are on a run of three straight victories which came to a crescendo last time out where goals from Barea, Maximus Jennings, and Lineker Rodrigues sealed a thrilling 4-2 comeback victory away at North Texas. The absence of striker Marcos Zambrano — away on US youth international duty at the FIFA U20 World Cup in Chile — could potentially constitute a minor wrench in Lowry’s plans, but the head coach will be fully confident in the potential of the rest of the players he possesses currently at his disposal.
The two sides have already met twice earlier this season, with Vancouver victorious on penalties after a 1-1 regulation time draw in early May, before the Monarchs inflicted revenge in a 3-2 victory in late June. Sunday, thus, will prove the deciding tiebreaker in the overall tie.
Lowry and Co. will celebrate what has been a stellar 2025 regular campaign thus far — and deservedly so. Yet the weekend presents the opportunity for continued greater acclaim, and as a first postseason contention since 2019 looms on the horizon, this could still very well prove to be just the start.
Watch Lowry’s side resume their push for a podium advantage against Vancouver Whitecaps 2, on Sunday, Oct. 5, with kickoff slated for 3:00 pm MT. Broadcast will continue to be available on MLSNEXTPro.com.
