The Twos are ready to wrap up regular-season play, having already punched their ticket to the playoffs for the first time in club history. They host Sporting Kansas City II this Sunday in the last matchup before the postseason, reaching to overtake Vancouver and claim the No. 5 Western Conference seed. Because MLS NEXT Pro allows the top three-seeded teams in the conference to select their opponents for the first round of playoffs, it’s a great time for the Twos to show the top dogs that they aren’t a team to be trifled with.
Minnesota has been defeated only once in their last five matches, most recently prevailing over Colorado Rapids 2 on the road. Alexis Fariña is making his mark as a starter, having scored in his debut and contributed to the win in Colorado with a powerful shot that was (sadly, infuriatingly, impossibly) attributed as a goalkeeper own-goal. Logan Dorsey scored his ninth goal of the season in the same match. Momoh Kamara provided the assist for Dorsey and has been a force to be reckoned with in the midfield. There’s certainly no shortage of attacking prowess on this Twos team, and the talent stretches all the way back to the net, where Kayne Rizvanovich is consistently impressing in goal.
Sporting Kansas City II has had a difficult season, finding themselves dead last in the league with 17 points. After parting ways with Head Coach Istvan Urbanyi in August, former Loon Ike Opara is leading the team in the interim. It’s been a mixed bag of results for Opara & Co. so far this fall, with Kansas City most recently falling to Ventura County at home, but previously drawing Vancouver and North Texas. Despite their elimination from the postseason, this final matchup against Minnesota is a chance to end their year on a high note.
This will be the third time the Twos have clashed with Kansas City this season, and the Loons will be fighting for a series sweep after beating SKC II twice already. Medgy Alexandre notably leads club scoring for Sporting Kansas City II with eight goals, two of which he scored in his last meeting with Minnesota in early August. Minnesota’s Kamara scored a brace in the same match, and in the clash of these two clubs near the beginning of the season, Dorsey did the same.
Can we expect another high-scoring match this weekend, maybe even with a Minnesota brace (or two)? Find out as the Twos close out regular-season play this Sunday, October 5 at 3:00 p.m. CT. If you can’t join us at National Sports Center Stadium, you can catch the action live on MLS Season Pass.
