Real Monarchs forward Aiden Hezarkhani has been named the MLS NEXT Pro Goal of Matchweek 19 winner for his strike against Tacoma Defiance on July 17th.
Trailing 1-0 early in the second half, Hezarkhani latched onto a leading pass from teammate Chase Duke in the box and slotted a low rolling shot past the Tacoma Defiance goalkeeper to level the match.
The game ended in a 2-2 tie, with Real Monarchs securing the extra point in the shootout.
Hezarkhani’s goal was his fifth of the 2025 season, and he now leads Real Monarchs in total goal contributions with eight.
Other nominees for Goal of Matchweek 19 included Tommy Mihalić (LAFC2), Sydney Wathuta (Colorado Rapids 2), and Tommy Musto (Ventura County FC).
Real Monarchs returned to action playing twice in Matchweek 20, first earning a shootout win over Austin FC II before falling on the road to The Town FC. They’ll aim to bounce back and stay above the playoff line when they face Timbers2 away on August 3rd.
You can catch every MLS NEXT Pro match live on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
