Glad header lifts Real Monarchs to 1-1 draw with Timbers 2 in first-ever home game


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SANDY — For the first 10 minutes of Wednesday night’s match, Real Monarchs SLC looked like the visiting team.

But after a slow start that included a seventh-minute goal from Portland’s Fatawu Safiu, defender Justen Glad helped rally the Monarchs to save a point in the franchise’s first-ever home match at Rio Tinto Stadium with a 1-1 draw against Portland Timbers 2.

“I think the excitement was there,” Monarchs coach Freddy Juarez said. “Overall, I thought the guys showed spirit. What I asked, they tried to do. We played out of the back and tried to possess better than when we were in Portland.”

Glad scored the lone goal of the match for the Monarchs, finishing a free kick with his head in the 27th minute in his first full game since undergoing meniscus surgery six months ago. The center back on loan from Real Salt Lake charged into the box 20 minutes after Timbers 2 went ahead and buried a header for the equalizing play.

“Every set piece, I feel like it’s an opportunity to score,” Glad said. “You’ve just got to commit to it. He put the ball in the perfect spot, and it would’ve been bad if I didn’t finish it.”

After that play, the Monarchs took the game straight at Portland, putting Timbers 2 on the back foot and nearly going ahead on more than one occasion. The Monarchs (0-1-2) outshot the Timbers 11-5 on the night, including an 8-2 advantage in the second half.

Portland (2-0-1) went down to 10 men in the 69th minute after Clarke Rennico received his second yellow of the match following a hard tackle on Ricardo Velasco. Though the Monarchs held possession for most of the final 20 minutes, the USL affiliate of Real Salt Lake struggled to find the game-winning goal.

Real Monarchs midfielder Lennon Celestino (5) passes as the Monarchs play the Portland Timbers 2 in USL soccer at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy Wednesday, April 8, 2015. (Chelsey Allder/Deseret News)
Real Monarchs midfielder Lennon Celestino (5) passes as the Monarchs play the Portland Timbers 2 in USL soccer at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy Wednesday, April 8, 2015. (Chelsey Allder/Deseret News)

“We still don’t have a killer instinct, and a lot of that has to do with training,” Juarez said. “I thought personally we did better than we did in Portland, but the final third is something we’ve got to get to in the next few days of training.”

Portland jumped out to the early lead when Fatawu Safiu took a pass from Blair Gavin and sprinted past the Monarchs’ back line, ripping a shot from inside the box past goalkeeper Lalo Fernandez and into the bottom corner to go ahead 1-0.

But T2’s lead only lasted 20 minutes. Lucas Baldin took a free kick just off the left corner, and Glad buried his lone chance of the opening 45 minutes with a sprinting header at the far post.

Both teams ended the first half neck-and-neck, with three shots, two shots on goal and a goal apiece in the 1-1 stalemate.

“It was a great header by Justen. The guys made great movement; I put the ball there, but the movement of those guys made the play,” Baldin said. “The way Justen got the goal, I’m so happy for him after he comes back from injury.”

Lennon Celestino saw one of his team-high three shots bend over the crossbar from just outside the box, and the game-winning goal never quite materialized for the Monarchs — even though they had chances. Boyd Okwuonu had a chance in the first of four minutes of stoppage time, but his turf shot from inside the box was tipped out by a diving Gleeson.

“I thought we were a little better in possession; we weren’t great, but there were a lot better sequences in this game than the last,” Juarez said. “And that’s a tough team, and will be good throughout the season. They’re strong, athletic, dynamic, and they get up the field fast. If you’re not in the right mind frame early on, the pace will kill you.”

The game was played in a 33-degree mix of rain and snow, conditions the players noticed in front of the announced crowd of 2,700.

“I know it was cold and wet. I don’t know if I would’ve gone,” Glad said with a grin. “I probably would’ve stayed home and watched ‘Prison Break.’ So thank you to the fans for coming out.”

The Monarchs get a chance for their first win Saturday, when the squad will welcome Colorado Springs to Rio Tinto Stadium. Kickoff between the Monarchs and Switchbacks is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. MDT.

“We are super hungry,” Baldin said. “I hope we can get a good result against Colorado. They’re a very good team. We played in preseason. They’re very physical, very tough team, and I think it’s going to be a very good game.”

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