Following a tough 3-0 home loss to North Texas this past Sunday, the Twos will be looking to hit the road, and hit the brakes, on their 2-game losing streak when they face Whitecaps FC 2 in Vancouver on Thursday evening at 8 p.m. CT. While the loss to North Texas wasn’t ideal, it was an exciting weekend on the whole for the Loons’ pro player pathway, as multiple MNUFC2 players saw action on the previous night for the Loons’ first team. Kage Romanshyn Jr. and Morris Duggan made their MLS debuts in the Loons’ 1-1 draw with FC Dallas on Saturday night, while Patrick Weah logged his first minutes at Allianz Field since 2021. It was an exciting milestone for those players, but the Twos now have business to tend to in Vancouver, as they will be facing a Whitecaps 2 team that is coming off a resounding 4-0 victory over LAFC2 on Sunday.
U19 goalkeeper Oliver Kelly got the start this past Sunday and may be in line for more action Thursday, as regular starter Alec Smir figures to be with the first team for an extended period of time while Dayne St. Clair is away on international duty, giving the young keeper more impactful minutes against NEXT Pro-level competition. But, if the Loons' defensive third is to provide Kelly with their fair share of support in keeping the net clean, they must show improvement from their past two matches. Playing in a tighter defensive structure on the pitch is something Coach Jeremy Hall continues to preach to his boys, something the Twos hope to clean up in their training sessions leading up to Thursday. Hopefully, defenders Finn McRobb and Britton Fischer can lead the charge in clamping down on Vancouver’s attack and contribute to a cleaner net, after surrendering 8 goals over the past two matches.
From an attacking standpoint, the boys get back some of their firepower as Twos’ leading scorer Patrick Weah should be fully-charged and ready to add to his 7 goals on the season. His scoring prowess has continued to develop over the course of the season, and if the squad plans on climbing up the conference standings and into the playoff mix, they’ll need Weah, as well as Kage Romanshyn Jr, Loic Mesanvi and others to put the Vancouver defense on its heels early and often. To watch the Twos take on Whitecaps FC 2, head to the match live stream on mlsnextpro.com.
