SKC II Recap: Sporting KC II earns point against North Texas SC at Children's Mercy Victory Field

Sporting Kansas City II (9-12-6, 35 points) picked up a point against the 2024 MLS NEXT Pro Regular Season Champions North Texas SC (15-4-8, 59 points) on Sunday afternoon at Children's Mercy Victory Field after falling 4-1 in kicks from the spot following a 1-1 end to regulation. Beto Avila notched his ninth goal of the campaign, however it was not enough as a stoppage time leveler from Isaiah Kaakoush forced the match to a shootout.

Head coach Benny Feilhaber's starting XI saw two changes from their match last Sunday with Ethan Bryant and Sebastian Cruz entering the midfield. Jacob Molinaro started in net while the usual back three of Leo Christiano, Chris Rindov and Carson Klein played in front of him. Bryant was joined in the defensive midfield by Danny Flores while Cruz played alongside Kamron Habibullah and Medgy Alexandre a line ahead of them. The goal-scoring Avila played in the final third with fellow nine goal-getter Maouloune Goumballe.

In the first half, Alexandre enjoyed a bounty of space along the left sideline, galavanting numerous times up and down the pitch. He had the honor of taking the first attempt of the match and ripped it on target right into the path of the charging Michael Collodi who made two regulation saves and two shootout saves. The North Texas defense survived a barrage of breakaways throughout the match, the first of which came four minutes in. Avila was played through the defense into the 18 where the ball rolled up on him and was cleared away by the back five of North Texas.

A minute later Cruz chipped a cross right into Collodi's waiting arms. In the moments succeding that, the first effort from the guests was blasted well off target. Another terrific run from Alexandre resulted in a centering pass to Habibullah hit just off frame. Molinaro made one of his two saves in the 12th, playing it safe with a blocking motion on a short skipped ball in front of his net. SKC II defended the first corner of the game and moved back into the attack with a shot pulled just past the far post by Avila.

Molinaro was called into action again in the 17th, leaping off his feet to make an acrobatic save on a shot destined for the back of the net. The match slowed its pace until the 30th when, on the cusp of the first-half cooling break, Cruz crashed an effort over the crossbar and out. Right before the 40-minute mark, Molinaro was beaten to the ball inside his 18, but Cruz was there to lend a hand, tracking back and denying an empty net goal with a boot over the endline.

SKC II sustained possession in and around the North Texas box as the match rolled past the 45th. A tightly packed North Texas defense prevented any effort from leaking toward goal. Just before the half, Alexandre terrifically turned Texas over in the attacking third before finding Bryant. The midfielder slipped the ball to Cruz whose look at goal was closed in on at the final moment by a retreating defender. Klein was shown his first yellow card for a tactical foul moments before the halftime whistle.

Neither side made any changes at the break and the action resumed. The pace of the match slowed and neither side could find a flow as the contest saw nine yellow cards in the final 45 minutes of play. Avila broke the scoreless deadlock in the 57th, bagging his ninth goal of the campaign. The striker tracked back to take the ball off Diego Garcia's foot, sparking a quick counter. Avila laid the ball off to Cruz who returned it to the sender near the penalty spot. After the ball popped into the air, Avila controlled it and tucked it past the keeper to give the hosts a much-deserved one-goal lead.

Just three minutes later, Avila almost doubled the advantage but was rejected by Collodi. Feilhaber went to his bench in the 75th, bringing on Nati Clarke for Cruz. The 80th saw Habibullah curl a shot over the top of the net and Flores break through the defense before poking a shot wide of the target. Cielo Tschantret entered as the second sub in the 83rd. North Texas almost leveled in the 86th but a key intervention from an active Rindov kept them blanked. The first teamer broke from his mark and put his body on the line to block a close-range attempt away from the target.

Demarre Montoute came in as SKC II's final sub, in their final moment, replacing Bryant in the 87th. Clarke used his fresh legs to dash through the defense before missing the target past the far post with a rolled effort. The guests did find the tying goal on a long-range effort. Klein was then booked for unsporting conduct and SKC II played the rest of stoppage time down a man. Neither side could find the winner and the match was decided in a shootout.

North Texas took the extra point with four out of four takers making their kicks while Collodi denied the first SKC II takers. With the shootout defeat, SKC II needs help from around the league to have a look at the 2024 MLS NEXT Pro Playoffs. A Houston Dynamo 2 win at Tacoma Defiance late Sunday night would knock them out of the playoffs before MLS NEXT Pro Decision Day next week.

SKC II will host LAFC 2 in their final regular season match of 2024 next Sunday, October 6. Tickets are on sale at SeatGeek.com for just $10 as Sporting KC II closes out their campaign at Children's Mercy Victory Field at 3 p.m. CT on Sunday. The match will also stream live on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.

Sporting Kansas City II: Jacob Molinaro; Carson Klein, Chris Rindov, Leo Christiano; Danny Flores (Cielo Tschantret 83'), Ethan Bryant (Demarre Montoute 87'), Sebastian Cruz (Nati Clarke 74'), Kamron Habibullah, Medgy Alexandre; Maouloune Goumballe, Beto Avila

Subs Not Used: Jack Kortkamp, Ian James, Johann Ortiz, Jonathan Robinson

North Texas SC: Michael Collodi; Malachi Molina (Kara Scabin 55'), Turner Humphrey (Nick Mendonca 70'), Nico Gordon, Mads Westergren, Tyshawn Rose; Alejandro Urzua (Isaiah Kaakoush 64'), Diego Garcia (Pedrinho 64'), Anthony Ramirez, Leonardo Orejarena (Enes Sali 55'), Tarik Scott

Subs Not Used: Victor Darub, Abdoul Zanne

Scoring Summary:

SKC – Beto Avila 9 (unassisted) 56'
NTX – Isaiah Kaakoush 1 (Pedro Fonseca 5) 90+1'

Misconduct Summary:

NTX – Turner Humphrey (yellow card; unsporting conduct) 9'
SKC – Carson Klein (yellow card; tactical foul) 45+4'
NTX – Mads Westergren (yellow card; unsporting conduct) 54'
SKC – Kamron Habibullah (yellow card; unsporting conduct) 60'
NTX – Enes Sali (yellow card; time wasting) 67'
NTX – Caua Scabin (yellow card; unsporting conduct) 73'
NTX – Tyshawn Rose (yellow card; unsporting conduct) 77'
SKC – Jacob Molinaro (yellow card; time wasting) 83'
SKC – Chris Rindov (yellow card; unsporting conduct) 84'
SKC – Medgy Alexandre (yellow card; unsporting conduct) 87'
SKC – Carson Klein (red card; second yellow card) 90+2'

Shootout Summary

NTX – Nick Mendonca (converted)
SKC – Maououne Goumballe (saved)
NTX – Tarik Scott (converted)
SKC – Medgy Alexandre (saved)
NTX – Anthony Ramirez (converted)
SKC – Chris Rindov (converted)
NTX – Enes Sali (converted)

Referee: Velimir Stefanovic
Assistant Referee: Mateusz Dulski
Assistant Referee: Charles Rupert
Fourth Official: Nathan Colling