After a long stretch of six road games to the start the season, the Twos are bringing it home for an opener against North Texas SC at Allianz Field this Sunday, April 26, at 3:00 p.m. After North Texas swept all three games last season, Minnesota is looking to set a new tone against one of MLS NEXT Pro’s most consistently dominant opponents.
The Twos are launching into the weekend with the momentum of a comeback win in Colorado, spurred on by Marcus Caldeira’s electric two goals in two minutes. The result marked the young Loons’ third win of the season and put Caldeira at a team-leading five goals.
Alongside Caldeira, Luciano Pechota and Sam Vigilante have started each of the squad’s six matches, and all have consistently delivered in terms of forward ball progression and key passes. In net, the squad has rotated between Keane Perkins, Kai Zeruhn, and Kristers Bite, racking up a cumulative 13 saves. New defender and Liberian international Philip Tarnue has hit the ground running, notching an assist on an inch-perfect cross to Caldeira in his last match while holding down the back line alongside Nick Dang and Anderson Farris.
The young Loons are currently 10th in a tightly packed Western Conference, just two points off the fourth spot, with a game in hand on multiple teams above them. The core of their lineup has continued to coalesce in recent weeks and could be bolstered by additional first-team talent on Sunday, thanks to a schedule that will see both squads remain home this weekend.
Lining up across the pitch from the Twos, North Texas is looking strong, fourth in the west with two regulation wins and a pair of PK victories under their belt. Their road form has been mixed, however, and they have yet to put in a clean sheet this season. Texas typically lines up in a 4-3-3, with Edouard Nys leading the charge. Six goals in seven games puts Nys atop the MLS NEXT Pro Golden Boot race, with teammate Nathaniel James also among the league leaders with four of his own. Both players have earned MLSNP Player of the Matchweek selections for their driven attacks and will provide a challenge for Minnesota’s back line this weekend.
With standout players on both sides, this one is bound to be a good watch, and you can catch all the action in person for just $10. If you can’t make it to Allianz Field, the match will also be streamed on MLSNEXTPro.com or OneFootball.
