North Texas Hold Minnesota United II to Shootout
North Texas drew 1-1 with Minnesota United II in MLS Next Pro group stage action on Sunday evening, before losing 5-4 in the penalty shootout at Stadium Texas Health Mansfield. The result keeps both sides within touching distance at the top of the table, with the hosts sitting fourth on 35 points and the visitors fifth on 34 after 24 games each.
P. Tarnue opened the scoring in the 27th minute for North Texas, and it looked like they might take all three points. To be fair, Minnesota responded before the interval when R. Louis converted a penalty in the 45+5th minute after N. Simmonds had missed one just seconds earlier. By then the first half had already shown signs of what was to come.
The second half saw plenty of substitutions from both managers, with North Texas bringing on P. Tarnue in the 56th minute and then four more changes around the 64th minute. Minnesota made similar adjustments, substituting R. Louis in the 79th minute. The game remained evenly poised through regular time, with neither side able to find a winner.
The penalty shootout proved decisive, with Minnesota's takers proving more reliable. N. James, E. Nys, J. Friedman, T. Ospina, C. Swann, J. Adebayo-Smith, E. Newman, and L. Pechota all scored for the visitors. North Texas saw J. Clarkson and N. James convert, but J. Farris missed his spot-kick, and eventually E. Newman and L. Pechota secured the shootout victory for Minnesota.
Statistics tell a familiar story of dominance without reward. Minnesota controlled 62% of possession and registered 148 attacks compared to North Texas's 124, yet shots on target were minimal on both sides. The hosts had five shots on target with 50% accuracy, while the visitors managed just three shots on target with 19% accuracy. And here's the thing — the result suggests chances went begging for both sides.
North Texas's recent form has been unpredictable, with results ranging from a 0-0 draw with Austin II to a heavy 6-1 defeat away to LA Galaxy II. Minnesota showed similar inconsistency, losing 4-0 to Houston Dynamo II in their most recent outing before bouncing back with a 1-1 draw at San Jose. This result means neither team extends their winning streak, but the visitors gain valuable ground in the group standings.