Real Monarchs SLC 2 vs Fresno FC 4
May 4, 2019; Herriman, Utah; Zions Bank Stadium
Real Monarchs SLC (3-4-2, 11 points); Fresno FC (3-0-4, 13 points)
Man of the Match: Midfielder Josh Heard came onto the field as a substitute in the 70th minute and almost immediately made an impact on the pitch. Just over 10 minutes after coming onto the field, Heard perfectly paired with Luis Arriaga to sneak in a clever backheel to pull a goal back from Fresno FC. The goal provided the Monarchs with the spark of life it needed as it began searching for the equalizer in the dying moments of the match.
Telling Stat: 13. Real Monarchs SLC responded in the second half with fire after going down early, palcing 13 out of its 16 total shots during the second 45 minutes. The fighting spirit paid off with the goal through Josh Heard, and nearly found equalizers through Masta Kacher and Jordan Pena, but it was ultimately not meant to be as the match came to a close.
What You Missed: Real Monarchs SLC suffered its first home loss of the 2019 season after a hard-fought bout against Fresno FC saw the score line end 2-4. Maikel Chang opened up the scoring early before an unfortunate Monarchs own goal and a brace from Fresno FC’s Christian Chaney saw the Monarchs down by two early in the second half. A back heel goal from Josh Heard brought the game back to life, but it was ultimately put to rest with a 90 minute goal from Fresno. The goal from Heard marks his first of the season for the Monarchs, while Chang became the team’s leading goal scorer with his fifth of the season so far.
So What: The loss to Fresno FC at Zions Bank Stadium marks the end of a four-game home undefeated streak for Real Monarchs. The Monarchs sees its season record move to 3-4-2, holding onto to 11 points on the league table. Real Monarchs SLC will now have a week to recuperate before it returns to action on the road in Oklahoma City when it visits Taft Stadium to play OKC Energy FC on Saturday, May 18. The evening kickoff from Taft Stadium is set for 6:30 p.m. MT and can be watched live on ESPN+.
