FRISCO, Texas - North Texas SC kicks off its inaugural MLS NEXT Pro season against Minnesota United FC 2 this Saturday, March 26 at 8PM at Choctaw Stadium in Arlington.
Here are five things you should know about the new league.
How to Watch Online
If you can't make it out to Choctaw Stadium Saturday, you can tune into the game on mlsnextpro.com at 8PM. All MLS Next Pro matches will be streamed on the league's official site, with selected Game of the Week matches that will have enhanced production streams.
No Ties?
That's right, there will be NO TIES in MLS NEXT Pro. Matches that end in a draw after 90 minutes will go directly to a penalty shootout. Both clubs receive 1 point in the standings for the "draw" and the team that wins the shootout will receive one additional point. Regulation time wins are still 3 points and losses are still 0 points. Essentially, you can get an extra point for the "draw" if you win the penalty shootout.
New Coach, New Era
Much like FC Dallas, North Texas SC enters the 2022 season with a new head coach at the helm. Pa-Modou Kah, a former Norway international and MLS veteran, took charge as the club's second-ever head coach. Last year, Kah led his previous club Pacific FC to its first Canadian Premier League title and earned CPL Coach of the Year along the way. Kah is joined by Michel Garbini and Vikram Virk as assistant coaches.
League Structure
The regular season consists of 24 games for each club, 12 home and 12 away. There are two conference, East and West, and four division: Frontier, Pacific, Northeast and Central. North Texas SC is in the Frontier Division along with Colorado Rapids 2, Houston Dynamo 2, Sporting KC II, MNUFC 2 and St. Louis City 2. The MLS NEXT Pro playoffs will feature eight teams. The top team from each division automatically qualifies along with the next top two teams from each conference.
Roster Movement
North Texas SC has 15 players signed to its roster but those are the only players that will feature this season. The club can also play FC Dallas Academy players who sign amateur contracts in order to preserve their eventual college eligibility. NTSC can also use players on loan from the FC Dallas first team. Full roster breakdown HERE.
Buy Single-Match Tickets
The 2022 Schedule is here! All single-match tickets are on sale now.
