North Texas saw off Real Monarchs 4:1 at Globe Life Park on Friday evening, a result that keeps the hosts in the hunt for a top-four finish in the MLS Next Pro Group Stage.
And here's the thing — the opening goal came early, with L. Ream finding the back of the net at the five-minute mark. To be fair, the game settled into a rhythm after that, though yellow cards for A. Riquelme and R. Mesalles in the first half suggested tensions were building.
The second half brought a flurry of activity. N. Simmonds struck at 48 minutes, right after coming on, and D. Garcia doubled the lead at 57. By then, Real Monarchs were chasing the game, and C. Swann's goal at 65 minutes effectively put the result beyond doubt.
Alvaro Augusto made sure of the margin with a late strike at 84 minutes. There were plenty of changes on both sides — five substitutions per team — and a yellow card for I. Murphy at 74 minutes didn't disrupt the flow.
The statistics tell a straightforward story. North Texas registered 11 shots on target compared to five for their visitors, while both sides shared possession evenly at 50%.
In the table, North Texas hold fourth place with 38 points from 25 matches, having won 13 and lost 12. Real Monarchs sit sixth with 29 points, their record reading 11 victories and 14 defeats.