Frisco, Texas (June 3, 2022) – North Texas SC goes on the road to take on Colorado Rapids 2 on Saturday, June 4 at 5PM at University of Denver Soccer Stadium. Here's everything you need to know before the game.
How to Watch
Stream: The match will be streamed on MLSNEXTPro.com starting 5PM.
Match Overview
NTX Record: 6-1-2 (21 points – 2nd in West)
COL record: 1-6-1 (5 points –9th in West)
NTX vs. COL all-time: 1-0-0 (3 GF, 1 GA)
STORY LINES
Last Time Out
The first matchup between North Texas SC and Colorado Rapids 2 was on April 10, at Choctaw Stadium. Rapids 2 forward Yaya Toure scored the opener in the 35th minute after slotting the ball past Antonio Carrera. A first half stoppage time penalty kick from Blaine Ferri leveled the score line. Two second half goals from Wingers Hope Avayevu and Bernard Kamungo made the scoreline 3-1 to help earn three points at home in the first ever meeting.
Maintaining Form
Coming off a bye week, North Texas SC is looking to maintain its form as they go on the road to take on Rapids 2. The team ended the month of May with a 3-0-1 record with seven goals scored and only one goal against in four matches. Forward José Mulato is on a two-game streak of goal contributions with a game winning goal vs. Whitecaps FC2 and an assist vs. Real Monarchs. The team will look pick up where they left off.
Pa-Modou Kah: “We had a great intrasquad game just to keep them on their toes. We knew we had a bye week, so we did not want them to relax too much. For us it is important to maintain the focus and momentum we had before the break because we want to continue with that.”
Development at its Finest
FC Dallas Academy players have played a total of 926 minutes and accumulated eight appearances total. Defenders Will Baker, Nolan Norris, midfielders Santiago Ferreira, Mikey Morales and forward Tarik Scott are players who have made their professional debut for the club. Ferreira leads the group with 544 minutes in eight appearances.
Pa-Modou Kah: “It is important having academy players step up because they are the future of the organization. The way we work as a club is that we want to give them the opportunity to show us what they have. Having them in the group is a beautiful thing because we watch them grow and as time goes on, we will know exactly when they are ready.”
Recharging the Batteries
North Texas SC’s defense has only allowed seven goals in nine matches played, making them the best in the league. The team also leads the Western Conference in save percentage with 80%. During the month of May, North Texas SC only conceded one goal out of the 10 shots on target that the keepers had to face.
Alex Araneda: “Coming off a bye week, it gave us the rest that we needed. Now that we are back, we are going to look to go back with that same mentality that we had before the break. During the week we had off we still had intense practices and we’ve maintained focused throughout each session.”
The Opponents
Colorado Rapids 2 are currently 9th in the Western Conference with a 1-6-1 record and five points in the season. Rapids 2 have found the back of the net in seven occasions. Forwards Darren Yapi, Yaya Toure and midfielder Yosuke Hanya lead the team with two goals each. Defender Michael Edwards leads the team with 283 accurate passes with an accurate pass percentage of 85.5%. Goalkeeper Abraham Rodriguez has registered 22 saves in seven appearances.
