Hunting consistency: Monarchs bury Portland 4-1

HERRIMAN — Last month, Portland Timbers 2 walked into America First Field and controlled the match.

The visitors needed just 13 minutes to open the scoring and eventually cruised to a 3-0 victory, handing the Monarchs one of their most disappointing losses of the season.

Since then, Real Monarchs have been hunting an elusive prey: consistency.

At their best, the Monarchs have looked capable of hanging four goals on anybody. They’ve beaten Sporting KC II 5-0 on the road, scored four against North Texas and Whitecaps FC 2, and rattled off a three-match unbeaten run in late May.

At their worst, they’ve been shut out in four of their last seven matches and conceded three goals on four separate occasions.

Saturday afternoon started with a surprising announcement.

Wes Charpie was honored pre-match, as this would be his final home match for the Monarchs before hanging up his boots. He will play on the road in at least one of the Monarchs’ upcoming matches, but this was his final match in Utah and he wore the captain’s armband.

Charpie has been working on his coaching badges, making a future within the club’s academy structure seem almost preordained.

Then the match kicked off, and the Monarchs looked determined to erase May from memory.

“It feels good because I feel like the last time we played Portland it just wasn’t the reflection of us,” head coach Mark Lowry said afterward. “That was the message this week. Remember that game, and let’s make sure that Portland leave here this time knowing that it was a much more physical contest.”

Lowry’s players clearly understood the assignment.

Kobi Henry picked up a harsh yellow card in the third minute after Portland kicked the ball into him following a foul. It must be said: he didn’t know much about it. Moments later, Van Parker barreled into a challenge of his own, earning a stern lecture from the referee but no booking as he notified Portland the Monarchs would not be their prom date.

“I think you saw that in the opening minutes, where we’re getting real stuck in,” Lowry said. “We gave away a lot of fouls, but I think that was the energy in the group, right? To play physical, to be on the front foot.”

The Monarchs nearly opened the scoring in the sixth minute when Ruben Mesalles delivered a delectable cross that Felix Ewald lofted over goalkeeper Sam Joseph, only for a Portland defender to head the ball off the line.

The breakthrough came a minute later.

Mesalles again found space down the flank. Portland blocked the initial effort, but the rebound fell kindly to Omar Marquez. The Mexican youth international made no mistake, driving a low shot into the far corner for his first goal of the season and a 1-0 Monarchs lead.

The home side threatened repeatedly to double the advantage but paid for its profligacy in the 30th minute.

Santos found space on the left and delivered a cross into the box where Daniel Cervantes rose to head the ball over Max Kerkvliet and into the net.

The equalizer frustrated Lowry, especially seeing Charpie left to defend two Portland attackers 6 yards from goal.

“They had one cross in the first half, and they score from it,” Lowry said. “It’s not acceptable.”

Portland nearly seized the initiative after halftime, but Kerkvliet came up with several important stops before the match swung decisively in the Monarchs’ favor.

In the 58th minute, Lineker Rodrigues slipped Ewald behind the defense. Ewald cut cleverly across the face of goal, forcing defender Charles Ondo into clumsy contact from behind that earned Portland a red card.

“We’ve gotta put them in positions to get the red cards,” Lowry said. “By making those runs and by playing those balls.”

Six minutes later, the Monarchs cashed in.

A corner was flicked on into the 6-yard box where Charpie arrived to hammer home the go-ahead goal.

It was his last touch at home.

“I really wanna make that his last touch as a professional soccer player,” Lowry said with a grin.

“Next week’s gonna be his last game at Tacoma, but now he’s done that, I think we have to have a real long, hard think about it.”

“What a cool story in 20 years time to tell your grandkids: ‘My last touch ever was a goal.'”

The Monarchs weren’t done.

In the 73rd minute, a partially cleared free kick dropped invitingly to Henry near the edge of the box and he feasted on the scraps.

“Bam, gotta hit it,” Lowry said afterward.

Henry did exactly that, smashing a right-footed volley into the net for a 3-1 advantage.

“We don’t get to control what the game gives you,” Lowry said. “You just gotta take it when it’s there.”

The final flourish belonged to Parker.

Early in the match, Joseph had collected a loose ball ahead of the 17-year-old striker and added an unnecessary shove as the two turned upfield. Parker looked to the referee, but never reacted to the goalkeeper.

He simply filed it away.

In stoppage time, with the result already decided, Parker returned the favor with a nudge of his own.

Seconds later, he put a bow on the afternoon.

Parker rose to a Riquelme service and headed the ball across the face of goal, where Rodrigues arrived to bury the Monarchs’ fourth.

The teenager could have taken the shot. Instead, he squared for Rodrigues and the simplest finish of the afternoon.

Now comes the hard part. Lowry wants to see his team carry that edge as they embark on a three match road trip.

“It’s important now we try and put together a bit of momentum,” Lowry said. “A bit of a run.”

Saturday felt like a good place to start.

The Monarchs will look to make it two in a row on Sunday, June 21, when they travel to face Tacoma Defiance, the MLS NEXT Pro affiliate of the Seattle Sounders.