North Texas SC Loses to Austin FC II 3-0

Not a night to remember for the youngsters from North Texas as they give up three quick goals to start the night.

After a disappointing home opener on Sunday, North Texas SC traveled to Austin to play the Verdes Dos, hoping to put that sour result behind them.

Alas, three quick mistakes against a pressing Austin FC 2 squad put the game out of reach.

After the game, North Texas SC Head Coach Javier Cano was clearly disappointed. “We punished ourselves, we played 80 minutes 3-0 down and this killed our play. You can prepare all week, scout the opponent but if you concede from these mistakes at a pro level you get punished and this is what happened. It’s hard to be happy after a result like this but it is what it is.”

In particular, Alejandro Urzua had a rough outing, being responsible for some of the errors, sloppy back passes that made life easy for Austin.

All was not lost, as North Texas SC battled on, generating some opportunities even as Austin FC 2 looked fairly content to defend and preserve the victory.

Cano acknowledged the fight from the guys. “Credit to the players for not giving up. They did what they could in a moment of pressure. We must learn, move on, and try to be ready for the next game.”

North Texas midfielder Andres Costas accepted some of the hard lessons from the match.

“Even from the most negative situations you can take positives. We either win or we learn, and today we learned a lot. We learned that we need to focus,” Costas said. “We’re a good team and there were moments where we moved the ball around and created chances but that only can happen when we’re focused and in the game.”

The team will be looking to put this past them and regroup for the next match. Two losses in a row dampened their optimism after a couple of straight wins to start the season. It’s clear that it is a young squad, and they are figuring themselves out. There is time to correct these mistakes though.

Cano commented on how with other coaches, these young players might be in the dog house. But he is committed to help them learn. If there is a level to make a mistake at, it should be MLS Next Pro. How else do you learn but by making errors and growing through the adversity?

A particular positive note was the growing veteran presence of Antonio Carrera, the FC Dallas phenom keeper who was quick to encourage the players after a mistake that led to the goal.

A note of concern - North Texas SC has only scored 3 goals in 4 matches. The offense has yet to click. Hope Aveyavu was definitely missed in this match as he recovers from an injury. Kamungo and Mulato were active, but with Austin FC 2 being able to sit back and keep the game in front of them, it was difficult for the dynamic duo to generate clear looks on goal.

North Texas SC returns home and welcomes Minnesota United FC 2 on Sunday.