FRISCO, Texas - With two games left on the schedule, North Texas SC looks to wrap up a successful preseason ahead of the team’s season opener in late March.
Going into his first year as a professional, 2023 MLS SuperDraft pick Herbert Endeley is excited to leave his mark on the team. “I’m looking forward to playing and improving at the professional level. This game is a lot tougher and more physical than college, so I’m just looking forward to playing and improving.”
The recent first round pick contributes a versatile playing style, able to feature as both a winger and defender.
Entering the season with new players and staff, first year head coach Javier Cano is looking forward to a strong campaign, expressing his high expectations for the club. “Our expectation is to be at the top spots of the league and fight for the championship. I think we’re on the right path.”
With many new signings, there’s a strong on hard work and maintaining consistency in training, as well as forming strong relationships.
“We can see improvement week by week, talking with each other and getting to know each other better,” Cano said. “You can see we're improving every single game and creating our identity. We’re still far from what we want but we're on the right path.”
As a returner from last year’s conference-semifinal roster, midfielder André Costa has high expectations for this year’s group.
“Last year we had a really good season, but it left a bitter taste of not being able to win the championship, that's definitely our objective this season,” the 21-year-old said. “We have the core team that was here last year, so we're just looking to build on that and play even better than last season.”
Amidst a roster that includes new faces in both the playing and coaching units, Costa represents a familiar face and veteran leader. “It’s always difficult for players when they come into a new squad and it happened to me last year. Luckily I had great teammates that helped me out. It’s a long process because chemistry is built with time, but as games and weeks go by, we’ll get better and better.”
NTSC will finish their preseason with matches against Sporting KC II on March 9 and Houston Dynamo 2 on March 18 prior to the start of their regular season.
