Ignore that 4-0 result from the beginning of the season. Real Monarchs aren’t that bad. Tacoma Defiance aren’t that good. Plus, in MLS Next Pro rosters aren’t consistent enough for past results to be too predictive. Players from MLS squads play down; Academy players play up; just a few players are the mainstays on a Next Pro roster.
Both sides in Sunday’s match were expected to be conference leaders due to their continuity from years previous. Where MLS is a league of parity, Next Pro is a league of mayhem. Predictions are foolish. Only the ball, the referee, and a few dozen fields matter.