This weekend, the Twos are back in the Town — oh, sorry, that’s an outdated joke. The Town FC have officially rebranded back to San Jose Earthquakes II, so it’s time to reframe to quips of the more earth-shaking variety: Time to make this California side quake in their boots.
Jokes aside, MNUFC2 is set to continue a long streak of road games out west this weekend. With two wins and two losses, the young Loons will be looking to tip the scales in their favor against a San Jose group sitting at fifth in the West. Though San Jose hasn’t quite shown the same level of prominence that ranked second in the conference last year, the squad is still strong, most recently routing Rapids 2 four to one on the road.
The young Quakes have had seven different goal-scorers this season, with the tally currently led by 20-year-old forward Julian Donnery. This attack comes from just about everywhere, forcing opponents to really lock down the back line or suffer major concessions. A number of first-team players including goalkeeper Nate Crockford, forward Nonso Adimabua, and midfielder Kaedren Spivey, among others, have been putting in minutes with Quakes II and performing well. Spivey in particular, a Homegrown and a US Youth National Team prospect, logged both a goal and an assist in his last match.
On the Loons’ end, several first-teamers have been putting in big minutes with the Twos. Darius Randell starred in the squad’s latest victory, Kieran Chandler continues to work the left wing, and Marcus Caldeira, Kenyel Michel, and Mauricio González have been picking up significant minutes. Kayne Rizvanovich has been officially recalled from loan, making him available as well.
As U.S. Open Cup play begins and the first team enters a heavy schedule of double-week games, though, several of these players may be held in reserve for first-team roster depth, making room for some other Twos and Academy players to shine.
Captain Alpha Kabia has been leading the squad from the midfield, yielding promising results alongside Luciano Pechota. MNUFC Academy keeper Keane Perkins logged his first clean sheet in his last game, a 0-1 road win. Recent defensive signing Philip Tarnue should also be available this weekend. Fanendo Adi’s side is absolutely rife with potential.
In their last match, the Twos outshot the opponent 22 to 9, but only landed three on goal. There’s no shortage of chances being created here, but a second to slow down and opt for precision — quality over quantity, if you will — could be the key to success going forward.
The Twos look to keep the momentum rolling this Sunday, April 12, at PayPal Park. Tune in live for a 9:00 p.m. CT kickoff on OneFootball or MLSNEXTPro.com.
