SANDY, Utah – Emilio Orozco’s rebound off of a free kick helped Real Monarchs SLC to a 1-0 victory against the Swope Park Rangers on Saturday at Rio Tinto Stadium. This was the first and only meeting between the second-year Monarchs and first-year Swope this season. The win helped Real end a four-game home drought (0-3-1 in its previous four home matches). The Monarchs are now 7-11-4 (35 points) overall. The Rangers saw their four-game unbeaten streak (2-0-2) come to a close as they fell to 8-9-5 (29 points) overall and 2-6-5 on the road.

Scoring:
9’ – SLC – Emilio Orozco

Three Things That Mattered:

• 1. The Monarchs got on the score sheet early in this one, and it proved to be the only scoring needed to gain the full three points against the Rangers. Ricardo Velazco’s free kick struck the right post and ricocheted to the left of the six-yard area. There, Emilio Orozco beat a Swope defender to the ball and found the back of the net for the 1-0 lead in the ninth minute. It was Orozco’s first tally of the season.

• 2. The crossbar certainly kept this match from being a higher-scoring affair. For the Monarchs, Amass Amankona hit the woodwork in the 65th minute. For Swope, Nansel Selbol hit the bar in the 72nd minute, and the Rangers’ rebound was stopped by Monarchs goalkeeper Lalo Fernandez to keep the visitors empty on the attack.

• 3. Fernandez maintained the clean sheet for the host side. He and the defense needed to stay strong until the final whistle. Swope’s Mark Anthony Gonzalez came close to finding an equalizer in the 86th minute, but Fernandez made the stop with his right leg. Then on the subsequent corner kick, he parried the dangerous ball over the crossbar. It wasn’t a bevy of saves needed, but Fernandez showed his poise once again in leading his side’s defense.

USLSoccer.com Man of the Match:
Emilio Orozco, Real Monarchs SLC – The Monarchs defender tallied the game’s lone goal while helping Real maintain a shutout.

Upcoming Games:
Real Monarchs SLC vs. Portland Timbers 2 – Aug. 17, 9 p.m. ET, Rio Tinto Stadium
Swope Park Rangers vs. Saint Louis FC – Aug. 21, 7 p.m. ET, Children’s Mercy Park