By: Maximiliano Reyes
Real Monarchs delivered a historic performance on Sunday night in Lawrence, Kansas, defeating Sporting Kansas City II 5-0 for the Club’s largest road victory in franchise history.
At the heart of the dominant performance was forward Marcos Zambrano, whose brace helped ignite the Monarchs’ attack, whilst Antonio Riquelme added a spectacular strike in a well-rounded offensive display.
Marcos Zambrano: Clinical Finishing Sets the Tone
From the early stages of the match, Zambrano’s presence in the attacking third caused problems for Sporting KC II’s back line.
The breakthrough came in the 18th minute after the Sporting KC II goalkeeper misplayed a headed clearance attempt outside of his box. The ball fell directly to the USYNT forward, who wasted no time unleashing a long-range strike over the keeper and into the net, giving the Monarchs a 1-0 lead.
The goal marked Zambrano’s first of the 2026 campaign and continued his strong scoring form with the club. Since joining Real Salt Lake in July of 2025, the forward has recorded seven goals in ten matches with Real Monarchs.
Zambrano returned to the scoresheet early in the second half.
After Gio Villa earned a penalty by drawing contact inside the box, Zambrano stepped up confidently from the spot in the 56th minute and fired a powerful strike down the middle of the goal, completing his brace and extending the Monarchs’ advantage to 3-0.
His composed finishing and constant movement helped set the tempo for a Monarchs side that controlled the match from start to finish.
Antonio Riquelme: Midfield Spark
While Zambrano provided the cutting edge in front of goal, Chilean midfielder Antonio Riquelme delivered one of the night’s standout moments.
In the 71st minute, Riquelme combined with Lineker Rodríguez on a quick give-and-go just outside the penalty area before unleashing a powerful strike that clipped the crossbar and dropped into the back of the net, a goal of the matchweek nominee.
The strike marked Riquelme’s first MLS NEXT Pro league play goal, extending the Monarchs’ lead to 4-0, effectively sealing the result.
The midfielder’s energy and creativity in the center of the pitch helped dictate the pace of play, allowing the Monarchs to maintain control throughout the second half.
A Historic Night on the Road
The 5-0 victory represents a milestone moment for the Monarchs.
While the club previously recorded two 5-0 wins during the 2019 season, both came at home. Sunday’s result in Kansas marked the first 5-0 road victory in club history, surpassing previous away wins, posting 4-0 scorelines against LA Galaxy II in 2018 and Houston Dynamo 2 last season.
With attacking contributions across the lineup including goals from Rubén Mesalles and Owen Anderson, and a composed defensive performance led by goalkeeper Max Kerkvliet, the Monarchs delivered one of the most complete performances in recent club history.
With momentum firmly on its side, Real Monarchs now return to Sandy to face LAFC 2 on Sunday, March 15 at America F, with kickoff scheduled for 3:30 p.m. MT.
