Amid all the excitement of the biggest tournament in the world, let us not forget about the stars of tomorrow living it up in MLS NEXT Pro. MNUFC2 is back on the road this weekend, this time headed to Houston for a Sunday night showdown, but don’t worry — this is most certainly not their first rodeo.
This next matchup comes off a 2-2 home draw against Tacoma Defiance, in which Troy Putt logged his second goal of the season and Jose Orta Ruiz made history by being the youngest player in MNUFC2 history to score. The Twos proceeded to snatch the extra point in a penalty shootout, and are now carrying that momentum down south to take on a Houston side that’s hovering near the top of the Western Conference table.
With 31 points and a game in hand over league-leading Austin FC II, Houston boasts a goal differential of +18 and an undefeated home record. Granted, they haven’t played at home since March, and their recent road form has dipped, leading to three consecutive defeats. A return to SaberCat stadium is very welcome for Jeremy Hurdle’s squad, but Minnesota will be looking to play spoiler to their homecoming.
Most recently, the young Dynamo fell to LAFC 2, with their sole goal coming from Gustavo Dohmann. Dohmann is the newest addition to Houston’s expansive list of fifteen different scorers, a stat reflective of the depth of their attack. Austin Brummett leads the club with a seven-goal tally, spearheading an attacking unit with a strong rotation including Arthur Sousa, Mattheo Dimareli, and Samir Mohammad.
Minnesota and Houston have met only once this season, a 1-1 draw that ended in Houston taking the extra point in PKs. As the Twos fight to shift that record in Minnesota’s favor, keep an eye on Putt, Marcus Caldeira, and Darius Randell as dominant scorers, but don’t forget about the unsung heroes of the backline. Mo Bojang, Anderson Farris, and Jack Clarkson have been putting in the work all season, and they’ll need to keep it up against an attack as prolific as Houston’s.
Don’t miss out on the action as the Twos go head-to-head with Houston on Sunday, July 5 at SaberCats Stadium. Tune in live via MLSNEXTPro.com or OneFootball at 6:00 p.m. CT.
