On Saturday in front of a sparse crowd of 1,384 at the Peoria Sports Complex in Arizona, a former UEFA Champions League midfielder made his return to soccer after a scary injury had him sidelined for two months.
Real Salt Lake’s Sunday Stephen – “Sunny” to his teammates – made his first appearance with Real Monarchs since a collision with New York Red Bulls goalkeeper Luis Robles left him with multiple facial fractures. The Monarchs won 1-0 over Arizona United to extend the club’s winning streak to three straight matches and the 90 minutes – plus an exorbitant amount of stoppage time – played by Sunny was a good indication that his fitness was better than expected in his first match back.