Hat trick heroics by First Team forward Marcus Caldeira, control throughout the field by Momoh Kamara and a fourth goal from Darius Randell helped lead MNUFC2 to its 2026 Season Opener win on Sunday night, a commanding 4-2 victory on the road against Austin FC II.
3’ (1-0) - First-Team forward Marcus Caldeira opened the scoring on the night, netting a goal after he received a pass from an interception by midfielder Momoh Kamara just outside the Austin 18-yard box. Caldeira then finished the shot to give the Twos the early lead.
5’ - Austin FC II nearly responded when forward Jorge Alastuey Aperte beat the MNUFC2 back line, firing off a close-range shot that was ultimately stopped by MNUFC Academy goalkeeper Kai Zeruhn.
11’ - Kamara took a long-range shot around traffic after driving into the MNUFC2 attacking third, forcing Austin goalkeeper Erik Lauta to make a diving save.
21’ (2-0) - Caldeira bagged a brace from an ensuing corner kick service that landed inside the Austin 18-yard box. MNUFC Academy midfielder Max Harwood helped bring the ball closer to goal, where an odd volley landed at the feet of defender Sam Vigilante, who tapped a pass to Caldeira in open space inside the box, where he netted the goal at close range and doubled the lead.
39’ (3-0) - Fellow First Team forward Darius Randell earned a penalty kick for the Twos after being fouled from behind while challenging for a header towards goal. Caldeira stepped up to the mark and converted the penalty to secure the first-half hat trick.
49’ - Kamara gained possession in the Twos’ defending third and drove the ball up and deep into the Austin end before he passed it to Randell on the left flank. Randell took a shot from just outside the 18-yard box, but the chance went just wide of the far post.
52’ - The home side came very close to scoring when a failed clearance by defender Alpha Kabia hit off the cross bar, which was then cleared off the goal line by Harwood.
66’ - Austin created two dangerous scoring chances in quick succession. First, Verde & Black forward Stefan Dobrijevic had his close-range shot saved by Zeruhn, then seconds later, a cross came into the MNFUC2 six-yard box, where a tap-in opportunity by Diego Abarca missed just high.
73’ (3-1) - Jorge Alastuey Aperte broke past the MNUFC2 back line and created a one-on-one scenario with Zeruhn. Alastuey beat Zeruhn to put Austin FC II on the board.
78’ (4-1) - MNUFC2 extended their lead from a transition play, where Kamara flipped the field before connecting with First Team forward Kenyel Michel. The Costa Rican then quickly passed the ball to Randell, who ran in from the flank and scored the fourth goal for Minnesota.
81’ - Austin FC II midfielder Adrian Gonzalez was shown a red card and was ejected from the game following a harsh upper-body foul against Jakob Friedman, leaving the Texas side to finish the match with 10 men.
87’ (4-2) - Alastuey scored his second goal of the evening off a long-range volley.
GOALS
1-0 MNUFC2 - Marcus Caldeira (Momoh Kamara) - 3’
2-0 MNUFC2 - Marcus Caldeira (Sam Vigilante) - 21’
3-0 MNUFC2 - Marcus Caldeira (penalty kick) - 39’
3-1 ATXII - Jorge Alastuey (Jules Bery) - 73’
4-1 MNUFC2 - Darius Randell (Kenyel Michel) - 78’
4-2 ATXII - Jorge Alastuey - 87’
DISCIPLINARY SUMMARY
ATXII - Riley Thomas (caution) - 39’
MNUFC2 - Kai Zeruhn (caution) - 41’
ATXII - Daniel Cieśla (caution) - 63’
MNUFC2 - Alpha Kabia (caution) - 72’
ATXII - Adrian Gonzalez (ejection) - 81’
ATXII - Diego Abarca (caution) - 90’+1’
MNUFC2 - Issa Saidi (caution) - 90’+1’
NOTABLE STATS
3 – MNUFC First Team forward Marcus Caldeira scored a hat trick during tonight’s Season Opener match at Austin FC II. The hat trick was notably the first in a MNUFC2 season opener in the club’s five-year history, and is also the fourth-ever hat trick scored in a single game in MNUFC2 history, the first since the 2024 season.
3’ – Caldeira’s third-minute goal tonight is tied as the second-quickest goal scored in MNUFC2 history, tied with former Loons’ striker Tani Oluwaseyi’s third-minute strike on April 9, 2023. MNUFC2 forward Luke Hille currently holds the record, scoring at the 2’ mark on June 28, 2025.
1 – Marcus Caldeira, Kenyel Michel, Sam Vigilante, Luciano Pechota, Jakob Friedman, and Jabari Kibisu all made their MNUFC2 debut appearances tonight.
TEAM LEADERS (Updated through March 1, 2026)
Goals – Marcus Caldeira (3)
Assists – Three players tied (1)
Saves – Kai Zeruhn (2)
Wins – Kai Zeruhn (1)
Shutouts – None (0)
LINEUPS
MNUFC2 XI: GK Kai Zeruhn; D Kieran Chandler, Anderson Farris, Alpha Kabia, Sam Vigilante; M Max Harwood (Jabari Kibisu 69’), Momoh Kamara ©, Luciano Pechota (Jakob Friedman 68’); F Darius Randell (Issa Saidi 79’), Marcus Caldeira, Kenyel Michel
Substitutes Not Used: GK Alexander Witte; D Nick Dang, Will Mayes, Brody Schauf; M, Cal Grulke
Austin FC II XI: GK Erik Lauta; D Riley Dean Thomas (Daniel Cieśla 46’), Evan Watt, Jules Bery, Patrick Cayelli; M Djakaria Barro (Landry Moncrief 71’), Adrian Gonzalez, Ervin Torres (Diego Abarca 59’); F Micah Burton (Ibrahima Sall 46’), Jorge Alastuey ©, Mohammad Badawiya (Stefan Dobrijevic 46’)
Substitutes Not Used: GK Charlie Farrar; D Chuy Moreno; M Marcel Ruszel; F Vlad Dǎnciuțiu
