The first Texas Derby of the season saw North Texas SC lose a 2-0 lead to draw the game against Houston Dynamo 2, 2-2. It would be North Texas that walked away with the two points after the shootout.
Pedrinho gets his first start of the season, after scoring a goal last week in his debut for North Texas. Nico Gordon got the start and the captain’s armband on his 22nd birthday.
Coach John Gall had this to say about Pedrinho’s first start “I still think he’s adjusting and transitioning to the game in the US. It’s very physical and very demanding… He’s gonna be a big impact for us and a big impact for the league.”
Tarik Scott received the first yellow the game in the 7th minute when he stepped on Ousmane Sylla’s foot taking him down. It was the fourth foul of the game, going to show the physical game plan both teams were looking to implement.
The yellow didn’t worry Los Toritos, as the press from the team got the ball far in the Dynamo’s half. Enes Sali scored the opening goal for North Texas with a header he was able to get past the keeper off a far cross from Isaiah Parker.
Ifu Achara was kept just onside in the 33rd by Turner Humphrey when he got the ball and was in one-on-one with Michael Collodi. Collodi went off his line to kick it upfield, but it hit Achara with enough power to go out behind the net for a NTSC goal kick.
Pedrinho had a ball land to him that took a deflection off Scott and would take a shot that was knocked out by Kieran Sargeant. North Texas wasn’t able to capitalize off the corner with Valdez coming out to catch the ball after Sali got the short pass, and tried to cross it in.
At the half, the game showed how chippy and physical it was with North Texas having eight fouls in the first.
Carl Sainté would get a yellow card in the 47th for a reach-in challenge on David Nguema ten yards out of the box. The free-kick shot from Diego Gonzalez would go wide of the net with Collodi not really going for it.
In the 53rd, Scott with the hard press got the ball from Houston and to Pedrinho who gave it back to Scott. He let it go for a bit when he first timed a low cross into the center for the trailing Diego García. García let it get to his left and shot the ball into the bottom right of the net not giving Valdez a chance to save the shot.
“I feel amazing to score in the game, but it was the whole team, we just kept fighting today,” García said.
In the 61st a lifeline would be given to Houston. Achara was driving down the left flank and tried to cross it in the box for Exon Arzu when Gordon got a foot to it and it looped high in the air and managed to come down in the North Texas net for the own goal.
When asked about the biggest challenge on the night García said, “Transitions. When we lost the ball we needed to recover more fast, and tackle the player.”
In the 70th Achara found himself in acres of space when he was played in by Sargent and went for goal but his shot didn’t curl enough for him and would go just wide of the goal.
Tomas Pondeca would get a yellow in the 79th for kicking the ball away after Malik Henry-Scott committed a foul. A few minutes later Nolan Norris got a yellow for time wasting.
“When you start getting yellow cards, at some point we have to be a little bit more cautious and a little bit more stand-offish,” Coach Gall said “When you do start getting yellow cards it kind of makes you play a little differently, and I think that affected us a little bit in the game today we had to play a little on the back foot in terms of our aggressiveness.”
Gordon got a yellow in the 84th for a foul on Gabe Segal. A couple of minutes after him Parker would get a yellow as well for pulling the shirt and taking down Arzu. This would have the free kick for Houston being taken by Gonzalez. He whipped in a pass that fell into a crowd of players and was put away by Sargent for the tying goal.
The game wouldn’t see another goal between them and it ended 2-2 in regulation. This game went into a shootout to see who would get the extra point for this game, with North Texas getting to go first.
The shootout would see both teams score their first four penalties with it coming down to sudden death. On the fifth penalty, it would be Collodi who got a hand to save the shot by Stephen Annor, getting North Texas the two points for the game.
Next Sunday will have North Texas go on the road to take on Sporting KC II at 6 pm CT on Apple TV.
Lineups
North Texas SC – Michael Collodi; Nico Gordon, Carl Sainté (Nicholas Mendonca, – 63’), Turner Humphrey, Isaiah Parker, Diego García, Nolan Norris, Herbert Endeley (Tomas Pondeca – 63’), Enes Sali (Abdoul Zanne – 81’), Pedrinho (Malik Henry-Scott – 63’), Tarik Scott.
Subs not used – Anthony Ramirez, Malachi Molina, Diego Pepi, Alejandro Urzua, Victor Darub.
Houston Dynamo 2 – Xavier Valdez; Kieran Sargeant, Isaac Mwakutuya, Femi Awodesu, David Nguema, Ousmane Sylla, Brooklyn Raines (Sebastian Rodriguez – 88), Diego Gonzalez, Ifu Achara (Stephen Annor – 77’), Gabe Segal, Exon Arzu.
Subs not used – Nico Hansen, Jahmani Bell, Maddox Findlay, Zeke Soto, Mattheo Dimareli, Parker Jackson.
Discipline
Tarik Scott (yellow card) – 8’
Carl Sainté (yellow card) – 47’
Tomas Pondeca (yellow card) – 79’
Nolan Norris (yellow card) – 82’
Nico Gordon (yellow card) – 84’
Isaiah Parker (yellow card) – 87’