North Texas Notes; Carrera with U20s
North Texas SC Head Coach Javier Cano spoke with media today ahead of the team’s game against San Jose, and Antonio Carrera is on the final roster for the U20 World Cup squad.
In a big day for FC Dallas, the academy, and North Texas SC, USA U20 Head Coach Mikey Vargas named his final squad for the upcoming U20 World Cup that kicks off later this month.
Among the names, none other than academy goalkeeper Antonio Carrera who has split time with FC Dallas and North Texas SC this season.
Additional FC Dallas linked names include Justin Che, still on loan at Hoffenheim, and Jonathan Gomez.
It promises to be a competitive squad with a solid amount of professional experience among those selected.
Head Coach Javier Cano spoke to media ahead of the team’s next away match in San Jose on Friday.
I asked him about the team’s second half performance after going down 1-0 at home against St Louis. It was truly a night and day kind of showing, as even before going up a man against the visitors, they scored an equalizer and looked far more dangerous as a team.
“When we went into the locker room, we saw the energy of the players was very low. We need to change things. We just tried to wake them up. We weren’t focused. We were being very predictable on the build up. They needed to start to play the game,” Cano said. “We changed the players thinking. In the second half, we were 11v11, and we were better than them.”
Against San Jose, the team will need to keep that kind of energy to continue to improve in the standings. For one thing, San Jose has struggled a bit at home, which could work in North Texas’ favor.
“They lost three games at home. They want to do their best - they might be exposed,” Cano said. “We need to be disciplined. They love to attack. We can take advantage of that.”
I also asked Cano about his statement on twitter, acknowledging how close he and his family were to the shooting at the Allen, Texas mall on Saturday. The team wore black bands as a sign of solidarity and shared grief with the community on Sunday.
“I was asking for permission to wear the black arm bands. We need to act and show our care for the community,” Cano spoke. “As you know, I was involved in this. For me, it was a very tough moment. I need to show respect for others who lost their lives. This is the minimum we can do for them. We are talking about values. I will always have them in my mind. It was a way to have them with me.”
With Jose Mulatto getting his first brace of the season and Hope Avayevu rounding into the form, Cano commented on how important both players are for their continued success. Of course, FC Dallas traveled to Nashville to play in the Open Cup, so some players traveled with the senior team and may feature there. It will mean the coach will have to do some waiting to see who is available for the match on Friday.