That's So Golden: Newcomers are coming to Real Monarchs, and already making an impact
That's So Golden: Newcomers are coming to Real Monarchs, and already making an impact
Real Salt Lake's reserve side is 0-3-2 in their inaugural campaign in MLS NEXT Pro. But are better days ahead?
The first thing that stands out about Golden Mafwenta is his size.
Listed at 5-foot-10, the long-limbed native of Lusaka, Zambia is performs athletic feats like someone nearly a foot taller than him: the way he runs, the way he uses his body to stop a counter-attack, and even the way he kicks a soccer ball.
Mfwenta is only beginning his professional football career, but the 21-year-old Zambian international who debuted with Real Monarchs in a 2-0 loss to St. Louis City FC on Friday night is the type of experienced center back that a reserve side like the Monarchs needs.
Spry. Quick. Able to think on his feet. Mafwenta prances forward in the attack with aplomb, diving into the final third with the ease that he defends his own goal. In one of his early touches on the ball, the leggy defender strided up on a free kick just outside the opponent’s box, and ripped a shot that kissed the far post as it sailed into a backstop in his new home stadium — one fo the few near-chances for a club that was out-shot 16-4 with just one shot on target.
In as few words, Golden Mafwenta looked like he belonged at Zions Bank Stadium, which is saying something for a player with barely two training sessions under his belt before head coach Jamison Olave threw him in as a starting center back against the No. 2 team in MLS NEXT Pro’s Western Conference.
“He just flew in from Africa, joined his second training with the team, and because of injuries and player movement, we had to play him. It wasn’t an ideal situation,” Olave said of Mafwenta, one of four players who made their first start of the season Friday. “But he performed really well.
“For the first 90 minutes, not expecting him to play that much, I think he’s got something to build on in this game.”
Mafwenta finished the match with two tackles and won seven duels on defense in his debut. He was one of two midweek signings announced by Real Monarchs before Friday night’s match with St. Louis, alongside Aziz Kayonda, the 19-year-old Ugandanan who spent the past four seasons with Vipers SC in his home country.
Mafwenta most recently played for MFK Vyskov in the Czech Republic, after starting his career with Buildcon FC of the Zambia Super League, primarily as an outside back, totaling 13 matches and more than 900 minutes with his home club.
He’s also made four appearances for the Zambian men’s national team, most recently in a 2-0 win over Tanzania in group play of the African Nations Championship. A stalwart U-20 international, Mafwenta’s been playing the game for a while.
So when the newly arrived African center back made it to Herriman no later than Wednesday due to visa concerns and with a professional contract pending league approval, Olave figured the new signing could help his team.
It hasn’t been an easy start to MLS Next Pro play for Real Monarchs, who fell to 0-3-2 with Friday night’s loss, the worst team in the West and tied for the worst team in the first-year league. Perhaps that’s to be expected for a club that bridges the acclaimed RSL Academy with Real Salt Lake’s first team, a “path to pro” that takes seriously the “play your kids” mantra.
The Monarchs aren’t just another minor-league club, but an extension of the Academy, one still producing its fair share of international players. And yet, they’re just like any other team, as well: they want to win.
And slowly but surely, brick by brick, they’re getting better. Mafwenta is a sign of that.
“I think the team is getting better. From the first game against Tacoma, we’ve made a lot of improvements — and that’s a credit to the players coming in,” said Tyrone Mondi, the 24-year-old South African midfielder by way of Oregon State who made his first start of the year Friday. “There are a lot of players moving in and out of the first team, and it’s just a moment that we’re looking for to jell. With more and more training, more and more working collectively, more and more guys coming in, I think it will get better. We’ll have a more cohesive team that could understand the movements and have more players in training.
“That’s no excuse. At the end of the day, it’s 11-vs-11, and the young guys are coming in and showing all the effort. That’s a positive for me; we can always get better, but it’s a moment of continuous improvement. We’re only six games in, and there’s a lot still to play for the rest of the season. We just need to keep our heads up, be positive, and always believe in ourselves.
“Sometimes it’s rough in the beginning. But the water will start flowing at the end of the season, once we get a full team together.”
It may not always feel like, and certainly there were some vocal frustrations aired by the crowd of around 3,000 fans who showed up Friday night to Zions Bank Stadium. But the Monarchs are taking dramatic steps forward since a 4-0 loss to Tacoma Defiance in the club’s inaugural MLS Next Pro match back on March 27.
Instead of dropping crushing results, the Monarchs have on a penalty shootout after a 2-2 draw with Vancouver, added a late 3-2 loss to Minnesota, fell via shootout (again) after a 1-1 road draw with Portland, and became the victim of Josh Dolling’s brace of two goals scored after the 75th minute.
“The team is getting better. But we’re pretty young in experience; that makes a difference,” Olave said. “Today, we had 60 minutes that we played really well. The first 45 minutes were great, then into 50 minutes of the second half, before Yekeson Suba came out; after that, the game changed.
“I’m pretty happy with what the team is doing. We need to score, and we need to stop conceding. That’s back on the team. But we’re trying to play, and we want to play better.”
Goals will come, like they started to do after a rough start. Eventually, so will wins. But what the Monarchs can’t do — especially a group of players young in their professional careers, as hang their heads and pout.
This is professional soccer; if results aren’t going your way, it’s time to strap on the boots and get back to work.
“The players are happy to be here, even the academy guys,” Olave said. “The new guys are happy to be here. They understand the situation that we are in right now; young guys, guys going to the first team, and that kind of situation. They know that the team is playing good, and getting better.
“Maybe when we have some more players, the team is going to perform better. But everyone is happy, the mentality is high, and we can see on the field: they never stop running, never stop fighting.”