The Foxes are back on the road this week. We take on Real Monarchs in Salt Lake City on Saturday, May 4th at noon.

You can catch the game on ESPN+, CW59, or at one of the watch parties.

Real Monarchs

We are taking on the Real Monarchs at home this weekend. The game is strange because it will be a daytime game, but that shouldn’t stop it from being a powderkeg.

The Monarchs are sitting at 7th will 11 points from 8 games. Their current record is 3-3-2 – proving they are not the same team as last year. However, their home record is 3-0-1 which should put the Foxes on their toes. The Monarchs don’t lose at home.

Worse still, they win big at home when they win. They beat Los Dos 5-0 and Reno 3-1, neither team is a pushover, and that means we have to be at our defensive best.

Players to Watch

The Monarchs have a talented side, but Jake Blake and Maikel Chang have scored 4 goals each in 8 games. Their attacking ability is something Del Campo and Daly will need to monitor if we are to keep them out.

Their creative hub seems to be Douglas Martinez. He is leading the team with three assists, and he has the pace to bring the ball forward. It’s going to be up to Cooper to keep him at bay – put in that defensive works.

They have scored 3 penalties as a team, and their goalkeeper does very well. If you want to see how they do at home check out this slaughter:

Unbeaten, Undefeated, not to be Unseated

So we didn’t win against OCSC, but we did manage to claw back from a 2-0 deficit to keep our unbeaten record intact. The team this year seems to be made of something else. Last year if we were losing 2-0 we would have been dead in the water, we were more likely to give up a lead than to come back for a tie.

I don’t know if our streak will continue, but we should be proud of where we are. We sit just 1 point behind the Monarchs, but we have two games in hand. The Foxes need to stay focused, and a playoff berth is within our reach.

We are going to have to go into this game with the right mindset. It might be a time to try something new with the midfield to keep our shape and discipline. If we can control the midfield and disrupt their service to the forwards, it might mean we put off any goals they can score.

Baiting

Something interesting to note, their top goal scorers are both sitting at 4 yellow cards each. It might be in our interest to make then frustrated, and perhaps we can get them to foul someone and be sent off. Playing against a 10 man side would be much more advantageous to us.

Prediction

The Monarchs have a strong attack and a goalkeeper who has shown up for different games. Their biggest loss came at the hands of New Mexico who are looking like western conference champions at the moment. It’s going to be a tough game.

If we can keep our composure, and find a suitable replacement for Seth Moses (something about keeping possession in the midfield) – then we have a chance to take advantage of their defensive frailties.

Being realistic, I think we’re looking at a 1-1 draw.

#SomosZorros #BuiltForFresno #SLCvFRS