HERRIMAN, Utah (Wednesday, December 19, 2018) – Real Monarchs SLC announced its full 2019 United Soccer League regular-season schedule today that will see the club play 34 matches across 33 weeks beginning Saturday, March 9 and conclude on Sunday, October 20. All matches will be carried LIVE on ESPN+ with kickoff times and ticketing information to be announced in the near future.
The club will see ZEROSunday home contests in 2019 with the majority of home matches being played on Saturdays with the option to move matches pending schedules from Major League Soccer and the National Women’s Soccer League to avoid match day conflicts with Real Salt Lake and Utah Royals FC.
The Monarchs will face each team in the Western Conference in a home-and-home series, with all 17 home matches held at Zions Bank Stadium where the Monarchs earned a league-best 13-2-2 (41 points) record in 2018. No matches will be played against Eastern Conference opposition, with home-and-home matches against Western Conference opposition solidifying the 34-match slate.
The full Real Monarchs 2019 regular-season schedule is as follows:
For 2019, the Monarchs return a familiar core of players from the 2018 season as DFs James Moberg, Kalen Ryden, Konrad Plewa, Andrew Brody & Stanley Okumu lead the backline of one of the league’s most elite sides. MFs Justin Portillo, Maikel Chang, Jack Blake, Josh Heard and Masta Kacher all return carrying with them a slew of experience into their second season in the midfield with the Monarchs.
For the third consecutive season, the Utah club will open the season away from home when it visits Sacramento Republic FC on March 9 in a battle between two of the West’s marquee sides before opening its home slate on March 16 against expansion side El Paso Locomotive FC. The Monarchs then see three of its next five matches held at home with an away match against I-15/ “Saint-and-Sinners” rival Las Vegas Lights FC on March 30 wedged between home matches against LA Galaxy II on March 23 and Reno 1868 FC on April 6 prior to welcoming San Antonio FC on April 20.
The Monarchs will pay its first to visit expansion side New Mexico United at Isotopes Park on April 13 before meeting Austin Bold FC at Bold Stadium on April 26.
The Utah side will see its lone three-match road stretch of the season take place from June 12-29 where it will visit Seattle Sounders 2 on June 12 and Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC on June 22, before ending the road stretch against Tulsa Roughnecks FC on June 29. After opening July with two home matches against New Mexico on July 6 and Seattle Sounders 2 on July 13, the Monarchs commence its “Texas Two-Step Tour” beginning with its first-ever visit to El Paso on July 20 before a bout with San Antonio FC on July 27.
In the final three matches of the season, the Monarchs will meet the top-three playoff teams from 2018 when it hosts Orange County SC on October 9 before a penultimate visit to Western Conference Champion Phoenix Rising FC on October 12. The club will close the season against Sacramento Republic FC at Zions Bank Stadium on October 19.
Expanded Format For 2019 USL Cup Playoffs
Additionally, a new playoff format has been unveiled with the 2019 USL Cup Playoffs expanding to include 10 teams from each conference, with the lowest four seeds in each conference opening the postseason in the Play-In Round, provisionally slated for Wednesday, October 23 with the No. 7 seed hosting the No. 10 seed and the No. 8 seed hosting the No. 9 seed for a place in the Conference Quarterfinals.
The single-elimination format will then continue for the following four weekends in a fixed-bracket format with the higher seed in each matchup serving as host through the Eastern and Western Conference Finals. The 2019 USL Cup will be held between November 14-18, 2019 and be hosted by the conference champion with the better regular-season record.
2019 USL Cup Playoffs Schedule
Play-In Round – October 23
Conference Quarterfinals – October 25-27
Conference Semifinals – November 1-3
Conference Finals – November 8-10
USL Cup – November 14-18
Schedule subject to change; please visit www.RSL.com/Monarchs for up-to-date information
