Daniel Obinyan
HERRIMAN, UT (Tue., August 26, 2025) – Real Monarchs (8-7-6, 32pts, 5th West) quickly resume its pursuit of a first-ever playoff qualification in its history in the MLS Next Pro era again this week.
Head coach Mark Lowry’s side head into what is a contextually much-anticipated week, staring down the barrel of a grueling double header which will not just provide a stern examination of the team’s postseason credentials, but consequently also go a long way in deciding its fate come the end of the season.
First up for the Claret-and-Cobalt is a trip to PayPal Park for a tantalizing away clash with Conference high-flyers The Town FC, on Wednesday, August 27th, before a quick return home for a Sunday parley with lowly-ranked Tacoma Defiance.
Lowry’s charges arrive at their latest cluster of matches with a slight bit of wind in their sails following a positive result last time out, where goals from Jesús Barea, Marcos Zambrano, and Griffin Dillon — all occurring in the first half — helped the team to a narrow 3-2 victory against Minnesota United 2 in a pulsating contest.
The season’s die is nearly cast — Lowry’s young guns continue their fight for a past-defying legacy, and the conclusion of Sunday’s affair will provide a clearer idea and bring the team ever the more closer to what might lie in store come the year’s end.
Only seven matches left (and five after the end of Sunday) in this business end of the season — the margin between flattery and fulfilment.
History tends to weigh heavily, not with this lot, it would seem.
One mission. One countdown. One dream.
Here lies the roadmap.
Playoff run-in fixtures
Following last weekend’s triumph over Minnesota United 2, the final regular-season schedule before the postseason commencement for the Real Monarchs now reads:
Wednesday, August 27th: Away vs The Town FC (2nd West)
Sunday, August 31st: Home vs Tacoma Defiance (13th West)
Saturday, September 6th: Away Sporting Kansas City II (14th West)
Sunday, September 14th: Home vs Ventura County FC (4th West)
Friday, September 19th: Away LAFC2 (12th West)
Saturday, September 27th: Away vs North Texas SC (9th West)
Sunday, October 5th: vs Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2 (7th West)
Only three of the Claret-and-Cobalt’s final seven opponents currently sit above the MLS NEXT Pro playoff line (with only the top eight placed teams at the end of the regular season guaranteed qualification), while two also currently occupy a spot in the table above Lowry’s side, who are in fifth (The Town FC - 2nd and Ventura County - 4th). The Monarchs' current record of 21 games played also means the team hold an extra game advantage over all the teams ahead of them (St. Louis City 2, Colorado Rapids 2, and Ventura County FC), with the exception of Wednesday’s opponents. Head coach Dan DeGeer’s The Town FC sit high up in second place, with 20 games currently played.
Lowry’s side prepare for what promises to be a blockbuster away affair on the back of a generally encouraging run of recent form, further accentuated by victory last time out in a spellbinding encounter against Minnesota at America First Field. It means the Claret-and-Cobalt come into its midweek encounter with three wins, two draws, earning the extra point in both, and only two defeats in the team’s last seven matches.
Such a relatively positive form is encouraging, and the team will need to be exactly that against a Town outfit who have achieved seven outright wins in every one of their last seven games. Greer’s side are also the third top scorers in the conference, with 49 goals scored and 26 conceded against the Monarchs’ record of 38 scored and 35 against.
The visitors will, however, also be depending on the encouragement from the last time both teams crossed paths, when a brace from talented youngster Aiden Hezarkhani granted the Utah side the full weight of spoils in a narrow 2-1 victory at America First Field near the start of April. The 18-year-old currently ranks second on the squad’s scoring charts, and Lowry will undoubtedly be depending again on the skill and talents of his star attacker, alongside the buttressing forms of Barea, Zambrano, Dillon, and several of the team’s other recent positive performers, in what is sure to be a taxing contest.
Sunday’s round against Tacoma Defiance, theoretically at least, could perhaps prove to be less tricky. The Seattle-based Next Pro outfit currently sit second from bottom in the conference standings, having lost six of their past seven games (five outright in regular time and one on penalties), conceding 21 times during that period whilst scoring 21.
The weekend will represent both sides’ third meeting of the season, with the Monarchs triumphant in the previous two encounters. Striker Barea proved the main protagonist during both teams’ first meeting, with a crucial brace in a 2-1 win during early June, before a 2-2 regulation time draw during the second clash gave way to a 5-4 Monarchs win on penalties.
The visitors will travel to America First Field on Sunday, desperately hoping for the luck of the adage ‘third time’s the charm’. But the hosts will know that victory at home will bring the team even closer to its history-chasing aspirations.
The Monarchs continue to find relative success going forward this season, with 15 different goal scorers, and 12 players recording at least one assist, currently placing the team as the joint-seventh top goalscorers in the Western Conference. 23-year-old Barea currently leads the way with six goals, with Hezarkhani falling to second, on five goals. Lowry’s men will also be further boosted by the return of winger Matthew Bell, who made his long-awaited return from injury as a substitute in the 1-0 defeat to LAFC 2 over a week ago.
Recent Real Salt Lake newcomer and USA U-20 star Marcos Zambrano continues to enjoy a positive early run of form with the Club, most notably with a brace coming in only his second appearance, in a dominant 4-0 crushing of Houston Dynamo 2, which also represented the team’s first and still only clean sheet of the season, as well as scoring again in the win against Minnesota. First-team midfielder Tyler Wolff also continues to lead the squad in goal contributions per game, averaging one and a half per game after his four Monarchs appearances, logging three goals and three assists.
Individual leaders
Goals: Barea: 6 / Hezarkhani: 5 / Dillon: 4 / Wolff: 3 / Mesalles: 3 / Zambrano: 3
Assists: Mesalles: 4 / Hezarkhani: 3 / Wolff: 3 / Touray: 3 / Four Tied: 2
Clean Sheets: Mackay: 1
Saves: Kerkvliet: 17 / Mackay: 15 / Alphin: 5 / Stajduhar: 2
Watch the Real Monarchs take on Town FC to continue its historic playoff push. Kickoff is slated for 7:00 p.m. MT with broadcast available via MLSNEXTPro.com.
