Real Monarchs add midfielder Sam Brown and forward Kyle Coffee

Following yesterday’s announcement that Justin Portillo had been signed to fill the final current opening in the RSL squad, both of the 2019 MLS SuperDraft picks taken by RSL were today added to the USL Championship Monarchs. Both are familiar to many of the current Monarchs from short training stints between academic years over the course of their college careers.

A native of Ann Arbor, Michigan, midfielder Sam Brown spent four years at Harvard University where he started 61 of the 62 matches he appeared in during his time in crimson. As an intern with the Real Salt Lake organization last summer, Sam spent time training with both RSL and Real Monarchs. Brown has also made a number of appearances with the USL Championship side during preseason.

“I’m really excited to have signed with the Monarchs,” Brown said. “This gives me a good opportunity to learn and grow under Martín Vasquez and the rest of the staff. I’m excited for the opportunity to grow and have the chance to move upward with RSL. I’m happy to be able to learn and grow with the team each and every day.”

A native of Syracuse, Utah, forward Kyle Coffee had an extended run with parent RSL before moving off to the Championship team. Following an run with La Roca FC Coffee was recruited to the the University of Washington where he played four seasons. Coffee made 74 appearances and 45 starts for the Huskies.

“I’m really excited to be able to represent my hometown on the professional stage,” Coffee said. “To represent Utah while playing for the Monarchs mean a lot to me. I’ve always watched the club’s matches and to now have the opportunity to wear the jersey is amazing. I’m looking forward to contributing to the club both on and off the field and in the community and hopefully bring a USL Cup to Utah.”

Both players will face a great deal of competition for playing time as Head Coach Martín Vasquez brings his own touch to the changing roster of the Monarchs. Coffee will join the team during a trip to Southern California as they finish up the final week of preseason with a match against LA Galaxy II. The Monarchs open the season on the road in Sacramento on March 9th before a home opener on the 16th against expansion side El Paso Locomotive.

With these two signings the 2019 Monarchs roster now stands at 22 players as follows:

Goalkeepers: Todd Morton, Ethan Finney (2)

Defenders: Andrew Brody, James Moberg, Stanley Okumu, Konrad Plewa, Kalen Ryden, Noah Powder, Steve Jasso (7)

Midfielders: Sam Brown, Jack Blake, Maikel Chang, Josh Heard, Masta Kacher, Justin Portillo, Damian German, Ricardo Ávila, Luis Palma, Jordan Pena (10)

Forwards: Kyle Coffee, Lionel Abate Eoundi, Douglas Martínez (3)