Despite a late goal for North Texas SC, Los Toritos were unable to cut down an insurmountable deficit, allowing Real Monarchs to walk away with three points from the last regular-season game at Choctaw Stadium for the 2025 MLS Next Pro season.
With two games remaining in the season, North Texas brought out a lineup that was very similar to last week’s win. In the 4-3-3, JT Harms got his 14th start in goal, alongside a backline that was unchanged aside from Christian Wygant (RB), who made his debut for NTSC tonight.
Jaidyn Contreras slid back into the CM position, and Daniel Baran was inserted into the starting XI at LW. Most notably absent from the roster tonight was Daniel Garcia, who was traveling with FC Dallas to Portland.
Opposite North Texas, Real Monarchs held a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Will Mackay getting his 10th start in goal. Making their debut for the away side tonight was Lineker Rodriquez (LM), who started alongside Aiden Hezarkhani (CM) and Gio Villa (RM).
Up top, the team’s leading goal scorer, Jesus Barea, was the team’s lone striker. Before tonight’s game, he had 4 goals in his last 6 MLS Next Pro games. Most notably absent from tonight’s lineup was Owen Anderson, who has the 3rd most minutes played on this team.
North Texas would open up the scoring in the 6th minute as Baran sprinted down the left side of the field. He crossed it towards Christopher Salazar in the box, who tapped it home and gave NTSC an early 1-0 lead.
Real Monarchs leveled the game midway through the first half, in the 25th minute. Griffin Dillion found Barea, who, at the top of the box, volleyed a ball into the back of the net and tied the game at 1-1.
“We did really well to start the game. We got the goal, I thought things looked very positive,” head coach John Gall said. “Unfortunately, we gave up their first goal. They had some momentum, and they took care of business.”
Only minutes later, the Monarchs would secure their first lead of the game. In the 31st minute, Rodriguez put the brakes on in the box after flying down the field. He was able to lay the ball off to Barea, who made a couple of moves around two defenders and buried his second goal of the game, making it 2-1.
In the second half, the Monarchs added a pair of goals to extend their lead. The first of which occurred in the 56th minute and was the result of a cross that was headed past Harms from Maximus Jennings.
The other happened moments later in the 60th minute, when Hezarkhani played a low ball into the box, once again, and despite Harms getting a hand on it, Rodriguez would tap it home for an easy, 4-1 goal.
Despite a late goal from Faisu Sangare in the 86th minute, where Sangare was able to curl in a shot past Mackay (S/O to Sam Sedeh for his first assist), the Monarchs would end up walking away with tonight’s victory, 4-2.
“Thoroughly disappointed,” Gall said about the team’s overall performance tonight. “The goals we gave up, in my opinion, we shouldn’t be giving those goals away.”
It was a poor performance all around for NTSC on Saturday night. Outshot, with only one game left now in the season, you were hoping for more from this team. However, there were a couple of bright spots on the field tonight.
Including our “Man of the Match” Daniel Baran, who tallied an assist, 2 chances created, and completed 80% of his passes tonight. A solid performance from the Polish 19-year-old.
Up next, North Texas SC travels to USC – Rawlinson Stadium to take on LAFC 2 in their regular season finale on Sunday, October 5th at 3:00 pm CT. LAFC 2 are currently 9-14-3 on the season, with 2 shoot-out wins.
