North Texas SC Bounce Back Against Rapids 2

Coming off of a two game losing streak, North Texas Soccer Club turned their fortunes around with a strong road draw and penalty kick shootout win against the Colorado Rapids 2.

(Media credit to the North Texas/FC Dallas social media team.)

Sam Sarver did it again.

On Wednesday night, on the road and at altitude, North Texas Soccer Club turned to their captain and talisman, Sam Sarver, to find a crucial goal on the road and follow it up with a confident strike to open a riveting penalty kick shootout.

Two points on the road, while less than the win they desired, is a big boost to a North Texas team that had struggled recently.

“We hit a bit of an icy patch against St. Louis, and then against Austin but tonight was about grit. Tonight was against a really tough, physical team, a team that's older than us, a team that makes it very difficult on set pieces and direct play, and I thought that we managed the game really well. I'm a little bit disappointed that we gave that goal away late in the game, but I am really happy with how we were so resilient in the game today. Sam Sarver took his goal really well. I felt that we did enough to win the game, and I think that we deserved to win the penalty shootout,” head coach John Gall said after the match.

Indeed, fielding a young team week after week, a team far younger than last year’s MLS Next Pro championship side, has been a challenge. Players who are young are going to have up and down games. Anyone who has been following North Texas, witnessing their slow start, their steady integration of fresh signings, have seen the growth, leading to a dominant stretch in May.

But then June hits - a few players have off games, and suddenly, the team was navigating a disappointing losing streak.

The performance against the Rapids 2 at least stops the bleeding and reminds this young squad who they can be.

Sam Sarver’s goal in the 60th minute, his eighth of the season, showcases the eye for talent that FC Dallas has in finding intriguing players in the SuperDraft. Gall acknowledged his own role in scouting and recommending Sarver to the team and recognized that the recent two game drop didn’t feature the best of the young attacker.

“I thought it was a great bounce back after the last two games we played which certainly weren't up to the standards that we hold ourselves to or the club holds us to,” Sarver told media. “I thought we deserved three points tonight, but I'm always happy with two as well.”

But other players had strong performances too, including Anthony Ramirez, Mo Cisset, and JT Harms. Harms, in particular, saved two PKs to help the side to the extra and vital point on the road.

With 23 points so far, North Texas SC now sits 4th in the standings in the Western Conference. Strangely, a sign of their growing pains and the recent losses, they are doing so with a -4 goal differential. Expect them to hover in that area, maybe making a push towards the top if guys like Tarik Scott can get going.

But as our buddy Jose reminds us on the pod, some teams have only played 11 games so far. It’s going to be a bit of a bloodbath as results tighten.

The goal for North Texas is to peak at the right time going into the playoffs.

North Texas will continue their road trip with a match against Whitecaps 2 this weekend.