TUKWILA, WASH. – Tacoma Defiance (1-0-1, 5 points) defeated Real Monarchs (0-0-2, 0 points) 5-0 Sunday evening at Starfire Stadium in the club's home opener. Abdoulaye Cissoko bagged a brace, with Paul Rothrock adding three assists as Tacoma cruised past the Utah side.
Tacoma opened the scoring early in the sixth minute, with Rothrock sprinting down the right flank and driving in a low cross that Braudilio Rodrigues stabbed home for his first goal of the season.
Cissoko doubled the home side’s lead in the 24th minute. Rothrock sent a corner into the area that deflected off multiple players before Cissoko was able to body the ball into the back of the net.
Eythor Bjørgolfsson scored Tacoma’s third goal of the night in the 56th minute, his first strike of the season. It was Rothrock again who set up the score, playing a through ball to Bjørgolfsson, who smashed home the chance from inside the area.
Tacoma drew a foul in the area minutes later, with Cissoko calmly converting the penalty to compete his brace and put the home side up 4-0 in the 59th minute.
Uderitz bagged Defiance's fifth goal of the contest in the 77th minute, courtesy of Rothrock's third assist of the match. After a corner was taken short by Tacoma, Rothrock was able to send in a looping cross that found the head of Uderitz right in front of goal. The Snohomish native converted the point-blank effort for his second goal of the season.
Following today’s result, Wade Webber’s side hits the road to take on MLS NEXT Pro expansion club Austin FC II on Friday, April 7 at Parmer Field (5:00 p.m. PT / Apple TV).
MATCH SUMMARY
Tacoma Defiance 5 – Real Monarchs 0
Sunday, April 2, 2023
Venue: Starfire Sports Stadium
Referee: Dion Cox
Assistants: Justin Fillmore, Andrew Hanks
Fourth official: Christopher Calderon
Weather: 42 degrees and cloudy
SCORING SUMMARY
TAC – Braudilio Rodrigues (Paul Rothrock) 6’
TAC – Abdoulaye Cissoko 24’
TAC – Eythor Bjørgolfsson (Paul Rothrock) 56’
TAC – Abdoulaye Cissoko (penalty) 59’
TAC – Hal Uderitz (Paul Rothrock) 77’
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY
SLC – Griffin Dillon (caution) 64’
TAC – Sota Kitahara (caution) 76’
LINEUPS & STATS
Tacoma Defiance – Andrew Thomas; Reed Baker-Whiting, Hal Uderitz, Abdoulaye Cissoko (Elias Katsaros 90+1), Travian Sousa; Fito Ovalle – captain (Ethan Dobbelaere 60’), Frank Daroma; Paul Rothrock, Sota Kitahara, Braudilio Rodrigues (Blake Bowen 67); Eythor Bjørgolfsson (Gio Miglietti 81’)
Substitutes not used: Jacob Castro, Wallis Lapsley, Danny Leyva
Total shots: 13
Shots on goal: 6
Fouls: 16
Offside: 0
Corner-kicks: 8
Saves: 2
Real Monarchs – Fernando Delgado; Gennaro Nigro, Braydan Morrell, Omar Alba, Preston Allen; Tyrone Mondi, Moses Nyeman, Griffin Dillon, Angel Morales (Marcelo Mondragon 71’); Jaxon Stokes (Noah Ervin 60’), Terron Williams
Substitutes not used: James Erwin, Derreck Chan
Total shots: 5
Shots on goal: 2
Fouls: 15
Offside: 1
Corner-kicks: 6
Saves: 1
