Real Monarchs SLC 3 vs Tulsa Roughnecks FC 2
August 18, 2018; Herriman, Utah; Zions Bank Stadium
Real Monarchs SLC (16-6-2, 50 points); Tulsa Roughnecks FC (2-11-10, 16 points)
Man of the Match:
Monarchs forward Chandler Hoffman played a stunning first half, giving the Monarchs an early lead with a goal in the 12
th
minute, redirecting a shot in from Sebastian Velasquez. Hoffman notched his second of the match late in the first half with a headed effort at the back post for his ninth goal of the year. The striker went in search of the club’s first ever hattrick, nearly finding it if it weren’t for the frame of the goal earl in the second half. In his 82 minutes on the field, Hoffman completed 88.2% of his passes, took three shots towards goal, two of which found the back of the net with a third nearly giving him the coveted hat-trick.
Telling Stat: 21.Real Monarchs had no shortage of chances as the Monarchs outshot the Roughnecks 21 to 14. The Monarchs made sure to put Tulsa’s keeper to the test, with nine of its shots landing on frame.
What You Missed: In a nail-biter finish, Real Monarchs extended its home undefeated run to 11 with ten straight home wins. Midfielder Justin Portillo became the 14th player to score for the Monarchs in 2018 when he put away the game-winning penalty. FW Chandler Hoffman picked up a brace in the first half adding two more goals to his 2018 account and now leads the team with nine goals on the season.
So What: Real Monarchs remain atop the Western Conference table, as the win at home keeps the Monarchs up three points over Orange County SC with a game in hand to extend its lead. The Monarchs have ten games left in the 2018 season and remain just a single point below MLS-bound FC Cincinnati in the race for a back-to-back USL Regular Season Championship. The last ten games begin for Real Monarchs Saturday, August 25, when they host LA Galaxy II at Zions Bank Stadium. Kickoff is set for 8:00 p.m. MT from Herriman for the first ever Pups at the Pitch – presented by LifeVanatge. Tickets are available for purchase for humans and dogs alike at RealMonarchs.com.
