MLS NEXT Pro Side Welcomes Trio to Utah, Re-Signs Defensive Duo;
HC Lowry Adds Three Assistants to Staff Ahead of Third Campaign
HERRIMAN, Utah (Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026) - Real Monarchs welcome five additions to its 2026 roster just days prior to opening its fifth MLS NEXT Pro campaign, the Club hosting North Texas SC at Zions Bank Stadium this weekend on Sunday, March 1, with kickoff scheduled for 3:30p MT.
Free agents after the 2025 season, the defensive duo of Gio Calderon and Wes Charpie each re-signed, bringing their veteran presences back to the young Monarchs squad. Calderon appeared on 20 occasions throughout 2025, making 10 consecutive starts to finish the year. Charpie started in 13 of Real Monarchs’ first 15 matches, logging 90-minute shifts in all but one, prior to suffering a season-ending injury against Austin FC II in July.
Arriving in the Beehive State on loan from Elite Falcon FC, a second-tier side in the United Arab Emirates late in the 2023 campaign, FW Lionel Djiro appeared in one match for the Monarchs as a halftime sub in a 2-1 loss to Portland Timbers 2. A season-ending Injury in 2023 bled into 2024 to hinder Djiro’s time on the pitch. Signing a new contract with the Monarchs in the midst of the 2025 campaign, the left-footed Ivorian seeks a healthy, breakout 2026 season.
New to the Wasatch Front, MF Felix Ewald and DF Michael Wentzel, both of German heritage, arrive for the 2026 season. Ewald joins from West Virginia University, where he started in 19 of his 20 appearances throughout his senior year, logging four goals and two assists in the Mountaineers' run to the second round of the NCAA tournament.
Moving overseas from Germany to join St. Louis CITY2 in 2023, Wentzel became a staple of CITY’s dominant back line. Wentzel has since logged 50 MLS NEXT Pro appearances, starting all 50, whilst notching three goals.
ROSTER \AS OF FEB 23\ New signings italicized
Goalkeepers (1): Trace Alphin
Defenders (5): Loic Adjalala, Gio Calderon, Wes Charpie, Ruben Mesalles, Michael Wentzel
Midfielder (4): Liam O’Gara, Izzy Amparo, Lionel Djiro, Felix Ewald
Forwards (1): Lineker Rodriguez
With 11 signed players to its roster, Real Monarchs will rely on RSL Academy callups and Real Salt Lake Supplemental Roster loanees to bolster its squad throughout the 2026 season.
Building upon back-to-back Club point records in Real Monarchs’ MLS NEXT Pro era, Head Coach Mark Lowry welcomes three new assistants to his staff, promoting both RSL Academy Head Coaches Jordan Allen and Phil Cousins to his 2026 MLSNP staff, the club announced last week. Attilio Crimivaroli rounds out the trio of new assistants joining as the Monarchs’ video analyst from Austin FC II, filling the recent void left by Joe Hickman, who was promoted to Pablo Mastroeni’s RSL staff prior to the 2026 campaign.
STAFF New editions italicized
General Manager: Tony Beltran
Head Coach: Mark Lowry
Assistant Coach: Jordan Allen
Assistant Coach: Phil Cousins
Goalkeeping Coach: Nick Rimando
Video Analyst: Attilio Crimivaroli
Head Athletic Trainer: Andrea Camacho
Athletic Trainer: Nolan Hanrahan
Strength and Conditioning Coach: Laura Connahan
Team Administrator: Jesus Gonzalez
Real Monarchs is a professional soccer Club based in Herriman, Utah, a subsidiary of Real Salt Lake, competing in MLS NEXT Pro. Formed in 2014 and USL Championship Champions in 2019, the Club has maintained a high level of excellence on and off the pitch throughout its twelve years of existence. The 2025 season proved historic, as the team secured its first MLS NEXT Pro playoff berth since the league’s inception. The Club’s home ground, Zions Bank Stadium, is among the finest in MLS Next Pro, seating 5,000 supporters for home Real Monarchs matches. With a commitment to fielding a competitive team and developing young players, Real Monarchs aims to continue to be a strong link in the developmental pyramid between the Real Salt Lake Academy and Real Salt Lake for years to come.
