The Real Monarchs' 2026 season is over in all but name.

A 4-0 shutout loss at San Jose Earthquakes II on Sunday, Sept. 13, officially eliminated Real Salt Lake's MLS NEXT Pro affiliate from playoff contention. The loss dropped the Monarchs to 7-15-4 on the season with 29 points, stuck in 11th place in the Western Conference. It was also their final road game of 2026.

San Jose controlled the match from the opening whistle. Tomo Allen opened the scoring in the 17th minute after a botched Monarchs clearance, and Zachary Bohane doubled the lead in the 40th minute with a one-touch finish. The damage got worse fast: Bohane headed home a cross from Warren Boyce just 20 seconds into the second half, and Nick Fernandez buried an unassisted strike from outside the box in the 58th minute to make it 4-0.

The Monarchs managed one shot all game. San Jose piled up 13 shots, 10 on goal and eight corner kicks.

Goalkeeper Max Kerkvliet, who captained the side, made six saves to keep the scoreline from ballooning further. Head coach Mark Lowry had shuffled his starting lineup with four changes after a 4-1 loss at North Texas SC on Sept. 4. Luis Rivera, Gio Villa and Liam O'Gara all returned to the XI, but the rotation did little to change the team's fortunes on the road.

The loss capped a rough stretch for the Monarchs, who had briefly shown life with a 3-0 home win over Tacoma Defiance on Aug. 30 that snapped a five-game losing streak. That momentum vanished in Texas and never returned.

Lowry had stressed the need for consistency earlier in the season, telling KSL Sports after a June 13 win over Portland Timbers 2 that it was important for his team to "put together a bit of momentum." The Monarchs never found it for long.

The Monarchs host Minnesota United FC 2 on Wednesday, Sept. 16 at 5 p.m. at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman for their penultimate game of the year.