Following their first win of the 2024 campaign, a thrilling 4-3 road victory over Timbers2, the Twos take their talents to Rock Chalk Park to face the highly potent attack of Sporting Kansas City II. Unlike last week’s matchup, this Sunday will see the return of newly appointed head coach, Jeremy Hall, who missed the contest with Timbers2 due to a red card suspension. With the interim tag gone for the gaffer and three points in the standings, MNUFC2 hope to keep generating positive results now that momentum is rolling in the right direction, but they know they’ll have their hands full with an SKC II attack that can find the net regularly.
If they plan to match that kind of firepower, the Twos (1-2-0, 3 points) will need to see someone step up in the way Carlos Harvey did in the victory over Timbers2. The midfielder’s hat trick performance not only fueled the team's winning efforts but also earned the Panamanian international last week’s MLS NEXT Pro Player of the Matchday honors. And for a player who showed so much promise during preseason training sessions, it’s a welcome sight to see his potential begin to pay off on the pitch.
For Sporting Kansas City II (3-2-1, 10 points), they will be coming off a third straight result following last Sunday’s 11-round shootout defeat at Ventura County FC, formerly known as LA Galaxy II. While Ventura County, who currently sits at the top of the table in the Western Conference, emerged with the extra point, SKC II was able to stand their ground on the defensive end and hold a formidable Ventura attack to just one goal over 90 minutes.
If the Twos hope to evolve their first win of the season into its first winning streak of the season, they will need to show vigilance on the defensive backline to keep SKC II’s attack to a bare minimum for quality looks. Not only will they have to keep things clean for goalkeeper Alec Smir around the net, but they will also be looking for big performances from Harvey’s counterparts in the midfield, Molik Jesse Khan, and Loïc Mesanvi. They have been crucial for the club from a playmaking standpoint, whether it's putting the ball in the right place for a teammate or taking scoring matters into their own hands.
MNUFC2 and Sporting Kansas City II face off this Sunday, April 28 at 4:00 p.m. CT at Rock Chalk Park in Lawrence, Kansas, and will be streamed live on MLSNEXTPro.com.
