Sporting Kansas City II remains on the road on Friday when they take on North Texas SC at Choctaw Stadium in Arlington, Texas, in their fourth MLS NEXT Pro regular season game of the 28-game campaign. The contest kicks off at 7:45 p.m. CT and will stream live on MLSNEXTPro.com and the MLS YouTube page.
Friday night's fight marks the first of three meetings this season after North Texas claimed two wins in three matches in 2024. The last meeting between these two Frontier Division foes took place one week off of MLS NEXT Pro Decision Day. SKC II nearly bested the future champions of MLs NEXT Pro at Children's Mercy Victory Field, however, a stoppage time goal from the visitors forced the contest into a shootout. Michael Collodi saved two kicks in the shootout, earning North Texas the extra point.
SKC II captain Cielo Tschantret appeared in that match as a substitute, one of his 22 appearances in 2024. This season, the Academy product has played every minute for SKC II in league play, acting as the team's skipper in all 270 minutes. The 19-year-old has been a part of the club since he was 14 years old and has risen up through the ranks of the Pro Player Pathway in the last five years.
Forward Beckham Uderitz has produced the offense for SKC II in 2025. The Washington native scored in the season opener at Dynamo Dos and tallied against Des Moines Menace in the first round of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. His first goal was assisted by first-teamer Stephen Afrifa, while Maouloune Goumballe helped on the second.
Goumballe is looking to get off the mark in 2025 after bagging nine goals in 2024. He won a penalty in the last match against St. Louis CITY2 after switching to his typical role on the wing. He has started all three matches, playing a majority at the nine, showing his versatility as a player.
The Sporting KC Academy continues to promote players to the second team in 2025. Zane Wantland made his pro debut as a substitute alongside his teammate Carter Derksen, who made his third pro appearance. Luis Cruz-Ayala signed an amateur contract after developing in the Acadmey since 2017. Five players have appeared as amateurs for SKC II and 11 players have ties to the Academy as either amateurs or homegrowns.
North Texas comes into tomorrow with one win on the season after winning MLS NEXT Pro Cup in front of their home crowd last season. Their most recent match saw them slip 5-1 on the road at Houston Dynamo 2 on March 23. Their lone win came at home against Whitecaps FC 2.
Sporting KC II will be back at home following their first bye week when they host MNUFC 2 at Children's Mercy Victory Field on Wednesday, April 9. Tickets for all SKC II home matches can be purchased for just $10 at SeatGeek.com
Match Information:
MLS NEXT Pro: Game 4
Date: Friday, March 28, 2024
Kickoff: 7:45 p.m. CT
Location: Choctaw Stadium (Arlington, Texas)
Watch: MLSNEXTPro.com
SOCIAL TAGS:
Match-specific hashtag: #NTXvSKC
X: @SportingKCII
Instagram: @SportingKCII
X: @NorthTexasSC
Instagram: @northtexassc
