REAL MONARCHS SLC UNVEIL
2018 USL REGULAR-SEASON SCHEDULE
Defending USL Reg. Season Champions Inaugurate Zions Bank Stadium on March 31;
I-15 Rivalry Initiated w/ Expansion Las Vegas Lights; Lone Trip East April 21 at Tampa Bay Rowdies;
Close Season on the Road in Fresno on October 13
SANDY, Utah (Friday, January 19, 2018) – In conjunction with the United Soccer League, Real Monarchs SLC today unveiled the defending regular-season champions’ full 2018 regular-season schedule, featuring an expanded 34-game slate across 31 weeks for the club’s fourth USL campaign, also its first ever in the new Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman, Utah. Kickoff times and broadcast carriage for the Monarchs will be announced in the near future.
Beginning with the inaugural Zions Bank Stadium match on Sat., March 31 against Portland Timbers 2, the Monarchs will now look to establish the new 5,000+ seat venue on the $78 million Zions Bank Real Academycampus as its new fortress for 2018, after establishing a USL-best home record of 12-1-3 (39 points) last year, losing just one match in its final season at Rio Tinto Stadium.
Monarchs Head Coach Mark Briggs – the reigning USL Coach of the Year – leads his side’s title defense in his first full season at the helm, the Monarchs opening the season with four of its first five matches on the road following an opening week bye, prior to a home-heavy period that kicks off with four straight – and six out of eight – on the Herriman turf.
The 17-match Monarchs home slate features ZERO Sunday home matches and minimal conflicts with the Real Salt Lake pyramid’s MLS and NWSL teams, who play in nearby Sandy. The Monarchs will celebrate three “Monday Night Fútbol” games in 2018, including the inaugural “I-15 / Saints & Sinners” rivalry match against Las Vegas Lights on Mon., April 30. Other Monday night games are: June 4 against Rio Grande Valley, and on Mon., Sept. 3, Labor Day Weekend against San Antonio FC, the USL’s record-setting defensive side from 2017, and the Monarchs’ stiffest challenger for the West title a year ago. Herriman will also be the home for two Tuesday night contests, four Wednesday night matches, and eight Saturday games.
Monarchs 2018 season tickets start at just $99 to see first-ever visits from expansion sides such as Las Vegas and Fresno – kicking off their maiden voyages in the 33-team USL – and enjoying intense battles with Phoenix, Reno and San Antonio for the second consecutive season. The Monarchs will once again witness deepened rivalries with Sacramento, Swope Park and Colorado Springs, as well as perennial Western elite such as Seattle, Portland and LA.
The road portion of the Monarchs schedule also features intriguing matches away from Herriman, including first-ever visits East against the Tampa Bay Rowdies at famed Al Lang Stadium on Sat., April 21, and at Toyota Stadium against Saint Louis FC on Sat., June 16. The match against the Rowdies will be the only match against an Eastern Conference opponent in 2018, as the Claret-and-Cobalt USL side face each of their 16 Western opponents once home and once away, with an extra Zions Bank Stadium match against Fresno balancing the Tampa Bay trip.
The Monarchs lone-three game road stretch of the year occurs in September, as a trip to South Texas to face the Rio Grande Valley Toros on Saturday the 8th precedes a mid-month bye weekend, with Briggs’ side then doing a Wednesday/Saturday in Southern California at Orange County and LA Galaxy II on Sept. 19/22. Including that trip, six of the Monarchs’ final nine games of the season will be on the road, closing out the home portion of the 2018 regular-season schedule with a midweek against OKC Energy on October 10, sandwiched between weekend trips to Phoenix on Sat., Oct. 6 and then heading to Fresno on Sat., Oct. 13 for the regular-season finale.
2018 REAL MONARCHS SLC USL SCHEDULE
DAY DATE MATCHUP NOTE:
Sat. March 24 @ Tulsa Roughnecks Season kicks off one week late for Monarchs
SAT. MARCH 31 PORTLAND Inaugural match at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman
Sat. April 7 @ Phoenix Rising FC Can Monarchs cool off Drogba in Valley of the Sun?
Wed. April 11 @ Seattle Sounders 2 First season in Tacoma for S2
Sat. April 21 @ Tampa Bay Rowdies Monarchs head to Florida for lone East trip of 2018
MON. APRIL 30 LAS VEGAS Burgeoning I-15 rivalry?
FRI. MAY 4 ORANGE COUNTY Late-season tie v OCSC clinched Shield in 2017
WED. MAY 9 SWOPE PARK Does RSL-SKC feud boil over to USL sides?
SAT. MAY 12 FRESNO Possible doubleheader at RioT?
Sat. May 19 @ Las Vegas Lights FC Maiden voyage to Cashman Field home of expansion LV
Sat. May 26 @ Portland Timbers 2 T2 now call suburban baseball stadium home
TUE. MAY 29 SACRAMENTO Revenge for 2017 postseason shootout elimination?
MON. JUNE 4 RIO GRANDE VALLEY Monday Night Fútbol kicks off Summer
Wed. June 13 @ Swope Park Rangers First leg of KC / STL “midwest mayhem” tour
Sat. June 16 @ Saint Louis FC Historic soccer hotbed back on rise
TUE. JUNE 26 FRESNO Former Whitecaps USL side now calls Fresno home
Tue. July 3 @ Reno 1868 FC 2017 side highest-scoring in USL history
Sat. July 7 @ Sacramento Republic FC Site of last year’s RSL / Monarchs Open Cup debacle
SAT. JULY 14 SEATTLE S2 has history of success in Utah
Sat. July 21 @ San Antonio FC Staunch defensive side posts many shutouts at home
SAT. JULY 28 PHOENIX Drogba and Diplo at ZBRA?
WED. AUGUST 8 RENO Extended break prior to midweek August debut
Sat. August 11 @ OKC Energy FC Quick turnaround from previous match
SAT. AUGUST 18 TULSA Roughnecks did well in Utah last season
SAT. AUGUST 25 LA GALAXY II “Los Dos” arrive on Wasatch
Wed. August 29 @ Colo. Springs Switchbacks Home of USL “Snowmageddon II” in 2015
MON. SEPT 3 SAN ANTONIO Labor Day Weekend BBQ in Herriman?
Sun. Sept. 8 @ Rio Grande Valley Toros South Texas humidity oppressive this time of year
WED. SEPT. 12 ST. LOUIS Another midweek home game at ZBS
Wed. Sept. 19 @ Orange County SC Late September SoCal doubleheader trip
Sat. Sept. 22 @ LA Galaxy II “Los Dos” site of massive 2017 win for Briggs
SAT. SEPT. 29 COLORADO SPRINGS Rocky Mountain Rivalry one of best in USL
WED. OCT. 3 OKLAHOMA CITY Inaugural Zions Bank Stadium reg. season finale
Sat. Oct. 13 @ Fresno FC Playoff seeding finalized with this result?
All times Mountain (MT); Schedule subject to change;
please visit www.RSL.com/Monarchs for up-to-date information
The Monarchs return a familiar core of players from the 2017 Regular Season Championship squad as FW Chandler Hoffman, MFs Charlie Adams and Sebastian Velasquez return on the attack and DFs James Moberg and Michael Gallagher return to the back line. New additions to the side include former USL Cup champion Konrad Plewa and former Charleston Battery duo Justin Portillo and Maikel Chang, bringing USL experience to the squad to supplement valuable experience from former NASL Cup finalist David Diosa.
Starting at just $99 per seat, Monarchs fans can now experience all 17 home matches played by fan favorites Sebastian Velasquez, Chandler Hoffman, Charlie Adams and others, receiving a compelling benefit package. New to the Monarchs slate of ticket offerings is the ‘Family Time Four-Pack’ season ticket, which includes admission for two adults and two children at the world-class venue for just $249.
To reserve seats for the 2018 season, fans should visit www.RSL.com/Monarchs and make a $25 per seat deposit starting today to secure their place in the priority queue to select locations at Zions Bank Stadium.
On Saturday, February 24, fans are invited to take part in the first-ever “Select-a-Seat Day” at Zions Bank Stadium. Occurring from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., current and future fans can pick the exact seats they want inside the new stadium and take advantage of the opportunity to tour the Club’s new $78 million Zions Bank Real Academy. Current Monarchs season ticket members will have an exclusive priority window between 9:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. to select their seats.
In addition to picking seats inside Zions Bank Stadium for the 2018 season, select Monarchs players and Head Coach and reigning USL Coach of the Year Mark Briggs will make a special appearance, greeting fans as they pick their seats inside the new stadium. Season ticket members will also have the opportunity to have their picture taken inside the Monarchs locker room and be able to watch the RSL Academy U-17 and U-19 teams take on FC Golden State at 11:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. MT.
