MNUFC2 v San Jose Earthquakes II
National Sports Center | Blaine, MN
07.29.2023 | MLS NEXT Pro Game No. 19
8 p.m. CT (AppleTV - MLS Season Pass)
The Twos are going-going back-back to Blaine-Blaine for a date with San Jose Quakes II. This comes on the heels of last Sunday evening’s 1-1 regulation draw against Houston Dynamo 2, forcing a shootout that would see MNUFC2 make each of its five penalty kick shots and goalkeeper Fred Emmings stopped Dynamo 2’s final attempt to give the Twos the shootout win and the extra point. If the Twosies are able to find a positive result against San Jose II, it would cap off what has been a rather successful run of form throughout July, going unbeaten with the exception of a 0-2 loss to Real Monarchs earlier in the month.
A positive result wouldn’t just cap off a solid month for the Twosies, but with a Quakes II team lurking just a point behind MNUFC2’s sixth place status in MLS NEXT Pro Western Conference, it would only help the boys get closer to clinching a playoff spot. To get some distance between us and San Jose II, the Twosies will be looking to Paul Bunyan’s more clean-shaven brother, goalkeeper Fred Emmings, to come up big in the net like he did against Houston Dos last weekend. In a similar, but more attack-oriented way, the Loons will hope for the same version of Kameron Lacey as they have for most of the matches he’s played in since arriving in Minnesota midway through the season. As in, finding the net often, as he has proven himself to be the kind of scoring threat that Diogo Pacheco (assisted by his immaculate mustache) have been throughout the course of this entire season.
Aside from needing their biggest stars to show up in big spots with a shot at the playoffs in reach, the Twos are also due for some San Jose-inspired success. So far, Quakes II has swept the Twosies in their brief matchup history, notching two wins against MNUFC2 in the 2022 season. With San Jose visiting National Sports Center Stadium in similar form (6-7-5) to the Twos and just that one point separating them in the standings, the Twosies know they’re in for a battle, but hopefully, the boys are ready to face such a challenge.
We hope you can join us to watch MNUFC2 take on Earthquakes II at the National Sports Center Stadium in Blaine, MN on Saturday, July 29. Kick for the match is set for 8:00 p.m. CT and will be broadcast on MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV app.
