North Texas SC sealed a second league championship in the team’s five year history. A second half comeback added MLS NEXT Pro Cup to the FC Dallas development side’s league-best regular season record.
“So proud of those players and this organization,” said Interim Head Coach Michel Garbini. “The players were amazing in the second half, especially the mentality, it was incredible. The players played like champions in the second half. In the first half down 2-0, we made some adjustments in the locker room and in the second half we looked like a different team. We looked like North Texas.”
There was only one change for North Texas SC as Tyshawn Rose returned from a red card suspension. Michel pledged that the team would do all it could to have Logan Farrington fit after his early exit from the Western Conference Final, and the rookie striker came through.
Philly almost had an in-road in the opening minute as Pedrinho played a poor pass directly to Markus Anderson. A quick pass into the NTX box found CJ Olney, but Carl Sainte recovered to stop Olney’s shot at goal.
The visitors took an early lead in the 9th minute through Anderson. A blocked attempt on goal from Anderson rebounded to Gavin Wetzel on the edge of the Dallas area. Wetzel found Anderson in the center of the box for a follow-up attempt. A low shot came through a crowd of players that seemed to unsight Michael Collodi. The MLS NEXT Pro goalkeeper of the year was able to get decent contact in an outstretched save but couldn’t keep the ball out.
Collodi made a good save off David Vazquez a little after, while Nolan Norris may feel lucky not to have seen a red card after a nudge on Anderson as he ran clear of the North Texas back line. The linesman’s flag stopped the play as Anderson tumbled to the ground.
That wouldn’t stop Philadelphia doubling their lead in the 18th minute. Everything to that point had been a high press to unsettle the home side. Eddy Davis profited from that as a rushed clearance by Carl Sainte failed to make it beyond Davis’ feet, before the Union II man ran towards goal and applied the finish.
North Texas SC finally came to life around the half hour mark. Pedrinho got into a foot race with goalkeeper Andrew Rick off a Logan Farrington flick-on. Farrington himself was denied a strong claim for a penalty in the 35th minute after bursting into the right side of the area and receiving a two-handed shove by captain Francis Westfield.
NTSC captain Nico Gordon recorded the team’s first shot on target in the 39th minute, heading a Herbert Endeley cross from a free kick routine.
The story of North Texas SC’s playoff run has been finishing strong, and they would need that with a two goal deficit at the break. The performance had progressed from a Nolan Norris solo show to some progressive movement that allowed Logan Farrington to be involved.
“For me, it was intensity and confidence,” said Nolan Norris on the first half performance. “I felt like we were playing the occasion and not the game in the first half, and we looked a little bit nervous on and off the ball. Some people told me at halftime they never seen me act like how I did, and it was just a simple saying of we need to wake up. Michel was really good with us. He came in and he was very calm at the start, told us some tactical things, and then he lost it and told us we need to wake up.”
North Texas pulled a goal back in the 51st minute through Farrington. After winning a free kick a little over 25 yards out from goal, the 22-year-old drove the dead ball low beyond Rick’s reach.
Farrington could have had a second four minutes later. Carl Sainte looped a long ball between the Philly center backs that Farrington was able to get his head to, but without a clean contact on the ball it was a simple gather for Rick.
Michel went to his bench on the hour, with Anthony Ramirez and Abdoul Zanne replacing Carl Sainte and Tyshawn Rose. A pair of straight swaps, but Ramirez would sit higher than Sainte as North Texas looked to link play in the opposition half.
One thing North Texas did well was shut down future Manchester City signing Cavan Sullivan. The 15-year-old was pulled five minutes after the NTX changes.
If that substitution was to counter FC Dallas’ pressure, it didn’t have an immediate effect with the equalizing goal coming shortly after in the 67th minute. A driving run down the right wing by Endeley produced a well-placed looping cross. Enes Sali crashed the box off the opposite wing free of a marker to volley home the tying goal.
Tomas Pondeca entered the game immediately after the goal for Diego Garcia.
It was a decent sized crowd – 7,692 – at Toyota Stadium that exploded in the 75th minute as a red card was raised in the direction of Union 2 defender Olwethu Makhanya. Nolan Norris threaded a perfect ball for Logan Farrington to run on to. With the NTX forward a step ahead on a clear run to goal, Makhanya took one for the team and pulled Farrington down.
The board went up indicating five minutes of stoppage time, but North Texas SC would only need a few seconds to take the lead. Another Endeley run down the right ended with a nice feed out wide to Tomas Pondeca. The former US futsal international crossed low for Pedrinho to apply some Brazilian flair with the heel flick inside the far post.
Coach Garbini made the final pair of changes in the sixth minute of stoppage time. Malik Henry-Scott and Turner Humphrey subbed in for Logan Farrington and Enes Sali. The final whistle followed shortly after, prompting a pitch invasion before the trophies could be presented.
The real legacy of this team will be the players that progress. The 2019 championship win was the springboard for the likes of Tanner Tessmann, Bryan Reynolds, Ricardo Pepi, and Jonathan Gomez. Players like Nolan Norris and Diego Garcia have excelled in their pursuit for the next steps in their careers.
Philadelphia Union II Head Coach Marlon LeBlanc took the opportunity in his post game press conference to pay tribute to goalkeeper Holden Trent, who passed away two weeks ago.