Even for Real Monarchs, there's no place like home (and not in St. George)
In an attempt to try something new and perhaps test out a new market, Real Monarchs did something different Sunday: play a home match 287 miles away.
ST. GEORGE, Utah — In an attempt to try something new and perhaps test out a new market, Real Monarchs SLC did something different Sunday: play a home match 287 miles away.
With ongoing field renovations and a congested schedule at Zions Bank Stadium, the Monarchs moved Sunday’s MLS NEXT Pro match to Greater Zion Stadium on the campus of Utah Tech University in St. George.
The thinking, according to some close to the Real Salt Lake second team, was to give a market outside of the Salt Lake Valley a chance to welcome a professional soccer franchise, sell a few more tickets in a non-traditional market, and — at the very least — take a little bit of traffic away from the 5,000-seat stadium in Herriman that is also home to professional rugby, lacrosse, ultimate disc and several high school championships every spring.
Instead, Real Monarchs learned that even with a home venue that routinely draws in the hundreds in attendance — and sometimes even less — there’s still no place like home, after a 2-1 loss to Ventura County FC at the American college football stadium in southern Utah (that also hosts the Trailblazers’ men’s and women’s soccer teams).
“It didn’t feel like we were home today; this was very much an away game for us,” said Real Monarchs second-year coach Mark Lowry, who previously coached Indy Eleven and El Paso in USL Championship. “Everything felt foreign: the locker room situation isn’t ideal in there. This isn’t a soccer field, and it wasn’t a soccer game because of that. It was a pretty miserable experience for all 22 players that were out there.
“You put good players on a bad surface, and you get less good moments. There are more mistakes, more fragmentation, less fluidity. I’m definitely looking forward to being at home — and any time we can get on the grass at America First Field, we’ll take it. We’re undefeated there for a reason.”
Lowry admits that the artificial surface at Zions Bank Stadium isn’t ideal for his possession-based squad that patterns itself after the RSL first team. But even that turf rated above the college football pitch of Sunday night.
Bad surface aside, a good home crowd can help fill in some gaps and provide cover for a wrecked surface. But St. George didn’t have that, either.
After a preseason friendly against Utah Tech reportedly drew close to 5,000 earlier in the spring, Sunday’s draw pushed around 600 fans through the turnstiles. Most of them wore RSL jerseys, likely some fans away at school or back home in Washington County for spring break across much of the state.
Maybe the low turnout was poor marketing, or playing on a Sunday in heavily-LDS Washington County. Perhaps spring break played a role, with a lighter-than-normal college student presence.
Whatever it was, the biggest takeaway won’t be put on a billboard in the St. George city limits any time soon: For Real Monarchs, home is where the grass — be it natural or artificial — is a little bit greener, smoother and more attractive for 90 minutes.
The loudest momentum of the match came at halftime, when a few dozen children rushed a Monarchs marketing tent near the gate to scrounge through free stickers, washable tattoos and decals for a treasured find.
Like the Monarchs’ bid for a “home” result, most of them left disappointed.
Sean Karani and Luis Muller scored on either side of halftime to lift Ventura County to a 2-0 lead less than an hour into the match, which was the third straight in MLS NEXT Pro play hosted away from Zions Bank Stadium (to go with a 3-1 loss to NPSL side El Farolito in U.S. Open Cup play March 19).
It wasn’t all bad, of course.
Noel Caliskan pulled one back in the 78th minute, teeing up a cross from Ousman Tourav in the center of the box to cut the Monarchs’ deficit to 2-1.
But Ventura County held on for the win ahead of Real Monarchs’ Thursday match against LAFC 2 at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman.
“It’s difficult to play a home game a five-hour bus ride away,” Caliskan said. “I think it takes away a little of that home advantage.
“Even at Zions Bank, I think we have that home advantage,” he added. “We know how to play there; we’re used to the surface. And I think we even have a little bit of altitude advantage, too.”
In a league where attendance is often measured in hundreds instead of thousands, Monarchs supporters have been more hearty since MLS NEXT Pro launched in 2022 as a bridge between MLS first teams and club’s academy setups.
Any crowd can give a boost. But the Monarchs, who played just one game at home in its first three fixtures — and that one turned into a wild 7-6 penalty shootout at America First Field after finishing 2-2 with Colorado Rapids 2 — are hopeful for a home-field boost Thursday.
“You have home comforts,” Lowry said. “The locker room, the arrival, it all feels familiar. This was an away game for both teams today, and a new situation for everybody.
“It will be nice to be home Thursday. We need to get back to winning ways, after our last game was two weeks ago or so. It’s been a lot of stop-start, and that isn’t ideal. So we just want to get back out on Thursday and get back in the win column.”
The Monarchs return to Zions Bank Stadium on Thursday, April 10 to take on San Jose Earthquakes affiliate The Town FC at 6 p.m. MT. Tickets, including those available at the door, are just $5.