Frisco, Texas (July 1, 2022) – North Texas SC faces Sporting KC II on Saturday, July 2 at 7PM from Rock Chalk Park. Here's everything you need to know before the game.
How to Watch
Stream: The match will be streamed on MLSNEXTPro.com starting 7PM.
Match Overview
NTX Record: 9-2-2 (30 points – 1st in West)
SKC record: 5-6-2 (17 points –8th in West)
NTX vs. SKC all-time: (1-0-0, 2 GF, 0 GA)
LAST TIME OUT
North Texas SC defeated Sporting KC II during the first matchup in the inaugural 2022 MLS NEXT Pro season. Bernard Kamungo scored the opening goal of the match in the 17th minute of the match after being played a through ball pass from Hope Avayevu. Forward Pablo Torre scored his first goal of the season after heading in Luis Miguel’s back cross to make it 2-0 in the night and earn the three points in the first meeting between the two.
STAYING SHARP
North Texas SC leads the league in long ball distribution with 455 and a 58.6 long ball accuracy percentage. The team also leads the Western Conference with 84 accurate pass percentage after competing 6338 passes. North Texas is tied for first in the league with Columbus Crew 2 with 12 goals against. The team set a new MLS NEXT Pro all-time high in goals scored in a match after finding the back of the net four times last week. The previous record was three goals in four different
Pa-Modou Kah: “The boys are sharp and have been working really hard. We do not rest or take it easy in training just because we won our last game 4-0. After every game we look forward to the next challenge. We also look for ways to improve and get better.”
LEADING THE PACK
Captain Derek Waldeck is the oldest player at North Texas SC at 24 years old. The team’s average age during last week’s match vs. Minnesota United 2 was 17 years and eight months old. Waldeck joined North Texas at the age of 22 for the 2020 USL1 regular season. Since then, he leads the club in all-time appearances with 45 and leads in minutes with 4,233.
Derek Waldeck: “We are an incredibly young team. We have Chase Niece on the team who is 23 and then there’s me who is 24 years old. There are other teams where if we played for them we would be the younger guys, but in this scenario we are the more experienced players. The culture of the is very unique. There are not that many locker rooms in the world where you can find a team with many players in their early stages of their careers. Players grow exponentially when playing in a team like this.”
THE OPPONENTS
Sporting KC II are currently eight in the Western Conference with 17 points and a 5-6-2 record. The team has scored 16 goals and have conceded 20 goals. Forward Mataeo Bunbury leads the team with four goals scored in 10 matches played. Midfielder Collin Fernandez and forward Johan Vazquez lead the team in assist with three assists each. Goalkeeper Kendall McIntosh has registered 21 saves with a 65.6 saves percentage in seven matches.
Pa-Modou Kah: “The past does not count anymore. It’s a new game and we will look to play the way we are capable of. I always believe in this group and I tell them that when we perform the way we are supposed to we can win. The last time we played them we were a different team plus they were a man down. It will be important to remember that in tomorrow’s match.”
