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Silver Spring, MD – Real Maryland FC return to action this Saturday, July 16, when the Monarchs welcome the Virginia Beach Piranhas to Roy Lester Stadium on the campus of Richard Montgomery High School, with first kick set for 7:00 pm.

The Monarchs have plenty on the line against the visiting Piranhas. With just three matches left in the season, Real Maryland is still fighting for a playoff birth and can no longer afford to drop points, as any result other than a win would dash any realistic chance they have to qualify for the post-season.

Real Maryland (6-5-2, 20 pts.) are coming off of a dominating 5-2 win over Fredericksburg Hotspur at home, and the Monarchs will need to carry that form into a tough match against the same Virginia Beach Piranhas (3-7-3, 12 pts.) that stole two points from Real Maryland on their last visit to the Old Line State. In that match, Virginia Beach scored two late goals to earn a 2-2 draw and cancel out what had been a largely dominant performance up until that point for the Monarchs.

With only three matches left and with five points to make up to get into playoff position, the Monarchs must win their remaining matches of the season to have a realistic chance of earning a spot in the USL Premier Development League playoffs.

Following this weekend’s home match, Real Maryland closes out the regular season with two matches in two days, first traveling to take on the Carolina Dynamo on Saturday, July 23, and then returning home for the regular season finale against Fredericksburg Hotspur on Sunday, July 24, in what could be the most important PDL match in Monarch history.

This weekend’s match against Virginia Beach is also Real Maryland’s Super Y-League Appreciation Day. Real Maryland’s Super Y program includes boys U13 through U17 teams and girls U13 through U15 teams. In the past year, Real Maryland’s Super Y program has had three teams qualify for the Super Y-League Finals, 17 players selected to the 2011 Olympic Development Program National Camp in Bradenton, Florida, and had two players named to their U.S. Youth National B Team’s player pool. All Super Y-League players who come to the match in uniform get in free and the match will feature games, raffles, and giveaways.