No Sarver? No Problem! Late-game heroics from Aaron Essel secured the tie – and eventual shootout win – for North Texas SC at home against Ventura County FC, as the team continues to push for a spot in the playoffs.
North Texas followed up their second straight game against Ventura County with a very youthful lineup, having sported a 4-3-3, with Aaron Essel playing as a CDM. Essel was paired with Caleb Swann and Alejandro Urzua in the midfield, while JT Harms got the nod to start in goal.
Making their return to the starting XI, Mohamed Cisset returned as a CB, alongside Malachi Molina at left back, who made his first start since August 2nd. Most notably absent from the lineup tonight was Sam Sarver, who traveled with FC Dallas to St. Louis.
Ventura County also held a 4-3-3, varying as a 4-2-3-1 at times. Brady Scott got his eighteenth start in goal for the away team, alongside Mason Vanney and Mateo McLean, who made their MLS Next Pro debuts tonight at RB and CB, respectively.
The youthfulness of their lineup didn’t stop there as Levon Saribekyan (ST) and Eric Preston (RW) made their debut into the starting lineup, and Vincente Garcia (RM) made his second appearance as a starter. A very different lineup than the one NTSC saw previously.
Despite numerous chances for Ventura County in the first forty-five minutes, both teams would walk away at halftime with nothing to show for it. A first half that saw 8 total shots (all of which were for VCFC) and 7 total corner kicks (4 for NTSC).
The game’s first goal wouldn’t come until the 47th minute. Vanney played an unassuming ball into the box that eventually found its way to Gino Vivi, who blasted a shot into the top right corner and ultimately past Harms, to give Ventura County a 1-0 lead.
With time winding down in the game and playoff implications on the line, Essel came up big for his team.
Jackson DuBois played a cross into the box, where Essel rose up and headed it home to tie the game. A huge moment for both of these players as this goal felt almost inevitable with the chances they had accrued in the second half.
“We had to kind of change formations a bit in the second half, to push for the tying goal, and obviously, Aaron Essel was able to do that. We moved him up from the central midfield position, up to a forward, and it paid dividends,” said Coach John Gall about the team’s game-tying goal.
After 90 minutes of soccer, the game headed to a shootout in which North Texas was able to capitalize on a missed PK and walk away with 2 very important points.
Penalty Kick Results:
VCFC – 🟢🔴🟢🟢🟢
NTX – 🟢🟢🟢🟢🟢
Tonight, there was only one person whom we could’ve chosen for our “Man of the Match” (not entirely true), and that individual was Aaron Essel. His 91st-minute goal secured a much-needed point for NTSC and ultimately led to them winning tonight’s game via a shoot-out.
Gall had this to say about Essel, “He’s a young player, he’s only 20 years of age, but he has a lot of experience in the Scottish Premier League. He’s played for the Ghanaian national team. He’s the type of player who can help you in these moments. He’s been there, he’s done it.”
Up next, North Texas SC hosts Sporting KC II at Choctaw Stadium on Sunday, September 14th at 7:30 pm CT. SKCII is currently 3-17-4 on the season, with 1 shoot-out win.
