MATCH NOTES
- Forward Lautaro Taboada records his first North Texas SC start
- Midfielders Diego García and Tomas Pondeca each scored their third goal of the season
Arlington, Texas (August 19, 2023) – North Texas SC (6-10-8, 27 points) and Tacoma Defiance (10-5-8, 42 points) end 2-2 after 90 minutes, with Tacoma winning the extra point shootout to claim two points on Saturday night at Choctaw Stadium.
TOMAS IS ON FIRE
Tomas Pondeca scored his third goal of the season in the 56th minute of the match. The attacking midfielder has found the net three times in the last four matches played. Pondeca signed with North Texas SC on March 10 after attending the club's open tryouts in the offseason.
NEARING 100 GOALS
With the two goals from Tomas Pondeca and Diego García, North Texas SC is now two goals away from scoring its 100th goal in all-competitions at Choctaw Stadium. The club moved to Arlington ahead of the 2020 USL League One season.
LAUTI’S FIRST START
Forward Lautaro Taboada registered his first start for North Texas. The Argentinian striker made his debut on August 5 against MNUFC2 by coming on in the 64th minute of the match. Taboda signed with North Texas SC on July 26.
UP NEXT
North Texas SC visits Whitecaps FC II on Friday, August 25 at BC Place. The match kicks off at 9:30PM CT on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
Lineups
North Texas SC — Antonio Carrera; Herbert Endeley, Alejandro Araneda, Henri Santos, Nolan Norris; Carl Sainté (Diego Pepi – 77’), André Costa, Tomas Pondeca; José Mulato (Diego García – 46’), Lautaro Taboada (Pablo Torre – 87’), Hope Avayevu.
Substitutes not used — Michael Webber, Yeicar Perlaza, Manuel Caicedo, Thabo Nare, Anthony Ramirez, Dylan Lacy.
Tacoma Defiance — Jacob Castro; Stuart Hawkins, Adolfo Ovalle, Abdoulaye Cissoko; Blake Bowen (Antonio Herrera – 73’), Frank Daroma, Snyder Brunell, Cody Baker; Juan Alvarez (Georgi Minoungou – 57’), Eythor Bjørgolfsson (Raul Miglietti – 57’), Braduílio Rodrigues.
Substitutes not used — Trevor Wilson, Pedro Karalkovas, Elias Katsaros, Christopher Aquino.
Scoring Summary:
NTX: Tomas Pondeca (Carl Sainté) – 56’
TAC: Abdoulaye Cissoko (penalty kick) – 66’
NTX: Diego García (Carl Sainté) – 69’
TAC: Snyder Brunell (Raul Miglietti) – 70’
Misconduct Summary:
TAC: Abdoulaye Cissoko (caution) — 54’
NTX: Henri Santos (caution) — 78’
TAC: Cody Baker (caution) — 90’+1’
Weather: Sunny, 105°F
Attendance: 1,086
Post Game Quotes
Interim Head Coach John Gall
On tonight’s result…
“In the first half we made some adjustments that made it difficult for the opponent’s We came out in the second half and dominated the game. We had an excellent second half, calm and patient, and we were able to register eight shots on target to the opponents three. At the end of the day we gave away a couple costly goals, and it seems to be a theme for us at the moment but once we get it out of our system and go on a run, we’ll be able to push forward and get results. The result masks the performance and a lot of positives from the second half, but I’m really proud of the group and let them know they’re doing the right things.”
On playing with confidence…
“I’ve been clear since the day I took over. The last five games we’ve been on a positive run-in term of performances and making sure the players have the drive and confidence to push forward. Diego came off the bench tonight and made a big difference with his goal, he had some fantastic actions, and we know he has a bright future. Tomas is on a hot streak right now; with the confidence he’s playing with. In football there are no guarantees even if you’re the best team on the field you can lose the game. At the end of the day we’re all competitive and want to win.”
On the struggles in penalty kicks…
“It’s difficult because the boys are putting a lot of effort and desire on the field. We played a great team tonight and I think we were as good if not better at times. There’s no hiding the fact we played a good team, they’re currently third in the table for a reason. They're difficult to beat and break down because they’re so organized. The penalty rule is there for everyone, so regardless of whether we like it or not if we go to penalties, we need to make sure we do everything we need to do to get the points. The message is clear, we put ourselves in a hole with individual mistakes but that’s football. At the end of the day we’re giving everything we have and it’s going to continue to build what we're trying to do. It’s been a difficult couple of results, going into penalties but we’ve got to break the “curse” and push forward to get some results towards playoffs.”
Midfielder Tomas Pondeca
On the intensity that he brings to the team…
“I would say our connection is great on and off the field. We try to do everything we can for the team. We push each other hard in training and push for results We always want to help the team get the result we want.”
On the team’s mentality heading into the last couple of games…
“Our message and mentality have always been the same since day one. We want to win and show that we are one of the top teams in the league. Every game we compete, we want to show that we deserve to be one of the top sides and we can hang with the top sides. We want to always show up and earn three points no matter who we face.”
