CARSON, Calif. – Real Monarchs SLC continues to maintain a strong second-place stance in the Western Conference with a 3-0 victory against the LA Galaxy II on Wednesday at StubHub Center Track & Field Stadium. Sebastian Velasquez converted a penalty kick and assist a Karsten Hanlin tally late in second-half stoppage time, while Charlie Adams added a second-half tally as the Monarchs improved to 6-1-0 (18 points) overall and 3-1-0 on the road. The visiting side is now four points behind West-leading San Antonio FC. The Galaxy II played the final 25 minutes down to 10 men when Ethan Zubak was shown a second yellow card and subsequently was sent off. Los Dos are now winless in six straight (0-5-1) – the longest stretch without a victory in club history. LA drops to 1-5-1 (4 points) overall and 1-2-1 at home.

Scoring:
24’ – SLC – Sebastian Velasquez (penalty)
65’ – SLC – Charlie Adams (Andrew Brody) 
90’+3 – SLC – Karsten Hanlin (Sebastian Velasquez)

• #LAvSLC: Full match and Opta box score

Three Things That Mattered:

• 1. On a couple occasions during the first half, the Monarchs were able to pressure and force some potential contact from the Galaxy II’s defense. The first occasion, it was former Los Dos loanee and Chandler Hoffman who was looking for an early penalty kick in the third minute, but play resumed without a whistle. About 20 minutes later, Real did get this whistle when Sebastian Velasquez drew some contact against LA defender Jean Engola. Velasquez took the subsequent PK and placed his left-footed shot into the back of the net for a 1-0 lead in the 24th minute. It is Velasquez’s third goal of the season. Velasquez was also part of the buildup of the second goal as Real moved the ball well left to right. From the right side of the box, Andrew Brody headed it down for Charlie Adams who had a clear window for the right of the frame, which he promptly hit in the 65th minute for a two-goal cushion.

• 2. Wednesday’s match was hit-or-miss from a possession standpoint, and in terms of the final third, LA had the tougher time finding consistency close to the net. The host side did come awfully close to netting the game’s opening goal in the 22nd minute. Ryo Fujii generated the chance with a shot from the left side of the box, forcing Connor Sparrow into the save. The rebound ricocheted right to Jorge Hernandez, but his attempt from eight yards out caromed off of the crossbar. In the 62nd minute, Sparrow made a big save to deflected an Ethan Zubak attempt that was headed toward the inside of the far left post.

• 3. The Galaxy II are in the midst of their longest winless stretch in club history. Los Dos had previously endured a five-game winless streak during the 2016 campaign – 0-4-1 record from July 30-Aug. 27. While the season is still young, Mike Munoz’s side has certainly dug an early hole. LA has advanced to the USL Cup Playoffs every year since debuting in 2014. Wednesday marked the club’s fifth loss, and LA had dropped only seven matches in 2016. This year’s club is in the midst of a difficult stretch, too, as it gets set to travel across the country to face the defending champion New York Red Bulls II this Sunday in a conference crossover match.

USLSoccer.com Man of the Match:
Sebastian Velasquez, Real Monarchs SLC – With netted the game-winning goal and had a solid through-ball assist to Karsten Hanlin at the close.

Upcoming Games:
LA Galaxy II at New York Red Bulls II – May 14, 9 p.m. ET, Red Bull Arena
Real Monarchs SLC vs. Sacramento Republic FC – May 13, 9:30 p.m. ET, Rio Tinto Stadium