North Texas and Austin II played out a 0:0 draw in regular time before Austin II won the penalty shootout at the Stadium Texas Health Mansfield on 20 August 2026. The MLS Next Pro Group Stage fixture finished 4:0 on spot-kicks after four successive visitors converted while the hosts failed to find the net. The result leaves Austin II top of the group with 56 points from 25 games, while North Texas sit fourth on 35 points after 24 matches.
And here's the thing — the shootout told its own story. E. Nys missed first for the hosts, then S. Dobrijevic and V. Danciutiu followed suit before D. Abarca's attempt also found nothing. Austin II answered cleanly through D. Barro, N. Simmonds, N. James and T. Ospina without a single error.
The match had turned before penalties arrived. L. Martins received two yellow cards on 60 and 64 minutes, leaving North Texas with ten men for the final quarter. To be fair, the home side had already been under pressure, with Austin II controlling 64 percent of possession and registering 172 attacks against 115. The red card simply accelerated what was coming.
By then the statistics showed the imbalance clearly. Austin II registered six shots on target across 172 attacks, while North Texas managed six attempts on target from 115 attacks with 36 percent possession. The visitors were dominant in the air from set plays and pinned the hosts back after the dismissal.
The draw extends Austin II's unbeaten run in recent fixtures — four wins and two draws in their last six — while North Texas continue to search for consistency after alternating between victory and heavy defeat. The table gap remains at 21 points, and the hosts still need to find answers before the group stage closes.