SANDY, Utah (Thursday, March 31, 2016) – Real Monarchs SLC have loaned MF Edgar Duran and DF Jonathan Caparelli to Kitsap Pumas for the duration of the 2016 PDL season.
“We think this is an important step in their development, as Jony and Edgar are still at an age they need to get games,” said Real Monarchs Head Coach Freddy Juarez. “The opportunity to send them to a very good PDL club, one that will be in Open Cup, offers the chance for Jony and Edgar to play 20-plus games in addition to preseason matches, possibly as many as 30 games in 3 months. Hopefully, when they come back to us, they’re in a little bit better shape, better rhythm and can help contribute to our team.”
Caparelli, 21, played for the Chivas USA academy before joining the Real Salt Lake organization. He has yet to appear in a USL game, but he featured regularly for the Monarchs in friendlies over the past two years. Duran, 19, is a product of RSL's Arizona-based academy. He made two appearances for the Monarchs in 2015 after signing late last season after a year at Casa Grande, Ariz.
"We're delighted to have two exciting young prospects join us for the season, and we hope we can help them advance their professional careers," Pumas head coach Cameron MacDonald said. "We're also excited about our relationship with Real Monarchs, who have been supportive of our club mission. These kinds of agreements can only be mutually beneficial."
The Pumas work closely with a number of USL sides on player scouting, now including the Monarchs, with an eye toward temporary and permanent signings either way. For the PDL side, it's a way to move its own players onto the next level and improve its training environment with other clubs' players who might not be ready to play with the other team just yet.
"Our philosophy is based on taking in players who have been overlooked for whatever reason giving them a chance to be full-time professionals," MacDonald said. "We're happy to work with any club that wants to help us reach our goals in that regard."
The Monarchs' interest in Kitsap came from playing against Seattle Sounders 2 during the 2015 season, which had just taken a number of Pumas players on loan at the end of the PDL season. As Pumas and Monarchs officials met in the offseason, the RSL affiliate grew more interested in the Kitsap model and how it might benefit them.
“This is a great opportunity for our club to have a deep, working relationship with a PDL club – one very well-run and well-respected – to fill a gap in the RSL/Monarchs pyramid between the Academy, the USL and MLS,” said RSL VP of Soccer Administration and Monarchs President Rob Zarkos. “Loaning Edgar and Jony is a great first step, the first in what we hope will be many for our clubs to work closely together, in both the competitive and business arenas.”
Loan deals for Caparelli and Duran mark the first concrete manifestation of the agreement between the clubs, which is eventually planned to include club visits back-and-forth and an exchange of best practices.
Real Monarchs host LA Galaxy II Saturday night at 7:00 p.m. MT at Rio Tinto Stadium in the second match of its 2016 USL campaign, Juarez’ club earning the full three points last Saturday thanks to 88th-minute substitute Maikon Orellana’s stoppage-time game-winner to give the Monarchs a 1-0 win over Saint Louis FC. Juarez’ club enters Saturday with an active five-game win streak at home, dating back to last season’s late-year flurry for the inaugural side, during which it won five straight – including four at home – and knocked multiple teams out of the Western Conference playoff race.
Tickets for Saturday’s match – with the RSL at Kansas City MLS contest available on multiple screens in the AFCU Pavilion and throughout the Stadium starting at 6:00 – are available at www.RSL.com/Monarchs for just $10 each for general public, with $7 each for RSL season ticket members and only $6 each for “Crown Club” commitments. Visit www.RSL.com/CrownClub for more information or call 844.Real.Tix.
