North Texas Gets Their Playoff Opponent
Catching up with some fun news, we now know who North Texas SC prepares to face in the opening round of the MLS Next Pro Playoffs - the Town FC.
When the final whistle blew last Sunday afternoon, North Texas SC had surged up to 6th place in the MLS Next Pro Western Conference. That fact - and a decisive comeback victory against Los Angeles FC 2 - may have opened the door for a surprise twist of fate. Despite struggling against St Louis City SC twice during the season - the opponent we assumed they might face in the postseason, the Town FC have instead selected North Texas as their opening playoff dance partner.
This is fascinating stuff!
For starters, the Town FC and North Texas SC met once this season, a 2-0 victory at Choctaw Stadium. While this first round match up will be at PayPal Park, you wonder about the psychology behind the choice. Is this the Town FC just thinking they matched up better over other choices? Is this a little “inside soccer” as far as picking a team that the Town FC head coach can use to motivate via a revenge scenario?
We will see.
From the North Texas perspective, though, I like it. St Louis City SC would have been a tough match up for a NTSC side that has been anything but consistent. I’m not saying the Town FC are going to be easy - they are no. 2 in the MLS Next Pro Western Conference after all - but you can point back to a good performance and build on that. You breathe a little sigh of relief - if anything, this gives the young team a bit more optimism ahead.
Go back to the final 45 minutes against LAFC2, and focus on getting that team out on the field from the opening whistle. If so, I like North Texas’ chances to advance.