Zavier Gozo's brace leads Real Monarchs to 1st win of season, 2-1 over Minnesota
Zavier Gozo's brace leads Real Monarchs to 1st win of season, 2-1 over Minnesota
Gozo notched a brace, and Monarchs rallied from a goal down to take their first win of the season, 2-1 in a midweek game at Zions Bank Stadium.
HERRIMAN — Zavier Gozo has been away with the U.S. youth national team, but he had one objective upon his return to Real Monarchs for Wednesday night’s home match against Minnesota United FC 2 — and it wasn’t his two goals.
Gozo notched a brace, and Monarchs rallied from a goal down to take their first win of the season, 2-1 in a midweek game at Zions Bank Stadium.
The win propelled Real Monarchs to fifth place in the western conference of MLS NEXT Pro with 5 points and a 1-1-1 record, erasing the taste of a 5-3 loss to Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2 over the weekend.
“The team has worked really hard; I haven’t been with them the whole time, but you could tell that the group really wanted to win after losing the last game.”
Real Monarchs outshot Minnesota (0-2-0, 0 points) 19-8, including 8-5 margin in shots on frame.
But the visitors struck first after going down a man due to a red card in the opening minutes, when Mesanvi slotted one inside the far post in the 21st minute to take a 1-0 advantage.
Gozo equalized before the break, then broke the deadlock with a 59th-minute rip that gave the RSL homegrown from Eagle Mountain, Utah his first and second goals of the 2024 season with the Real Salt Lake second team.
“It feels great,” he said. “But all that matter is the three points.”
Watch/listen to Gozo’s full post-match interview below.