Frisco, Texas (May 7, 2022) – North Texas SC returns to Choctaw Stadium to take on Tacoma Defiance on Sunday, May 8 at 4PM. Here's everything you need to know before the game.
How to Watch Stream: The match will be streamed on MLSNEXTPro.com starting 4PM.
Match Overview
NTX Record: 4-1-1 (14 points – 2nd in West)
TAC Record: 2-2-2 (9 points – 6th in West)
NTX vs. TAC All-Time: 0-0-1 (North Texas SC won the shootout on April 2)
STORY LINES
Last Time out.
The first matchup between North Texas SC and Tacoma Defiance was on April 2, at Starfire Sports Complex. Forward Alfonso Ocampo-Chávez scored the opener in the 27th minute of the match after heading the ball into the net. In the 70th minute of the match, winger Bernard Kamungo scored the tying goal to send the match into shootouts. Goalkeeper Antonio Carrera saved Defiance’s penalty kick, and defender Isaiah Parker converted the final penalty kick of the shootout to give North Texas SC the extra point.
Back to Winning Ways
North Texas SC is coming off a 2-0 win on the road against Sporting KC II. The team is looking to maintain that form as it returns to Choctaw Stadium to take on Tacoma Defiance for the second time this season. The team is currently sitting in second place with 14 points, just two points off first place in-state rival Houston Dynamo 2.
Pa-Modou Kah: “We always want to win, but our mood never changes whether we win or lose. The mood has been fantastic. It is all about the progress and trust of the process. The boys understand it because they want to win, they want to get better, and they want to play well. It is all about the progress and trust of the process. We must keep going, we know what we want to achieve and winning helps. We are hungry for more and we will keep pushing to get better.”
Goalkeeper Love
Goalkeepers Antonio Carrera and Felipe Carneiro have seen minutes in goal for North Texas SC this season. Carrera has registered 15 saves , and five clearances in four games played. Felipe has seven saves and a penalty kick save in the two matches he has played. Both keepers each have a shutout to their name. Carrera has a 3-0-1 record when playing in goal and Carneiro has a 1-1-0 record when he is starting. North Texas SC has the best save percentage in the Western Conference at 78.6%
Pa-Modou Kah: "Felipe has been doing fantastic so far. But like I like to say, we area a squad. For us, it’s not just about the starting 11. We are a squad , and we make sure that all our players are ready to go for when they are needed. Felipe is the perfect example of that. He wasn’t starting at first but stepped in against Houston where I though he had done a fantastic job and was unlucky to get scored on three times. He showed his class by stopping a penalty kick and getting a clean sheet in our last match against Kansas. Now Antonio Carrera is back, but I am very happy with both of my keepers because if something happens to one of them, we will always have one ready to go.”
Building Momentum
North Texas SC’s defense is currently tied for third in the league with Orlando City B and Earthquakes II for least number of goals against. The defense is tied for second in the league with Tacoma Defiance in interceptions with 86 total. Defenders Chase Niece and Isaiah Parker lead the team with 10 interceptions each, while Paul Amedume, Collin Smith and Derek Waldeck lead the team with two clean sheets each. NTSC’s defense will look to slow down Tacoma Defiance’s offense who sits second in the league in goals scored with 15.
Paul Amedume: “I feel like in the Houston game we were unlucky. We had many chances to put away, but the defensive lapses did hurt us. It felt like a wake up call because the following week at training we worked intensely leading up to the Kansas game. We conceded an early penalty kick, but Felipe was able to save it to keep it 0-0. We took over the game and scored twice as we proceeded to dominate the game. The only way is up from here and I feel like we haven’t reached our full potential. The fact we are getting results even though we are not playing our best form of football says a lot about the team.”
The Opponents
Tacoma Defiance is currently 6th in the Western Conference with a 2-2-2 record and nine points total. Defiance leads the Western Conference with 15 goals scored. Forward Alfonso Ocampo-Chávez is currently first in MLS NEXT Pro golden boot race with five goals. Not only does he lead the team in goals, but he also leads the team in minutes played with 534 total in six appearances. Defiance is coming off a 4-1 home win against Dynamo Dos, defender Abdoulaye Cissoko netted a brace, Ocampo-Chávez and Valentín Sabella scored the other two goals in the match.
