MNUFC2 is rolling on the road, and they’re not even thinking about stopping. The second team won’t take the home field at Blaine’s National Sports Center Stadium until May, but with a two-for-two record so far, concerns are low and excitement is high. After a pair of rousing games in the Texas heat, the Minnesotan side will head to Kansas City for a matchup against Sporting Kansas City II.
Minnesota scored a solid three goals against Houston Dynamo 2 in the club’s second match of the season, in which first-team defenders DJ Taylor and Devin Padelford started with the Twos along with midfielders Loïc Mesanvi and Hoyeon Jung. Academy product Darius Randell was ready at the top of the box for Curt Calov’s long ball, slipping it right over Houston keeper Roman Kerimov’s head in a perfect arc that dipped just under the crossbar. Mesanvi doubled the lead off a fantastic cross from Logan Dorsey, who found a goal of his own when Jung, in his first action since signing, sent a pass directly to the center of the box. Calov’s consistent playmaking set up the first two goals and promises to yield even more results throughout the season.
MNUFC2 players have found their way to this season’s high-potential roster through a few notable routes: first-teamers looking for minutes on the field, recent draft picks or undrafted college signings, call-ups from MNUFC Academy, a few returners from the ‘24 season, and, in Muba Nour’s case, a direct path from tryouts to the team. The handful of new signings this year in all areas of the field indicates a healthy depth that allows Head Coach Jeremy Hall some flexibility as he prepares his Twos for high-level professional development. It’s a promising setup, considering the goal of the Pro Player Pathway leading to some first-team signings down the road. We’ve seen a number of MLS NEXT Pro debuts so far with some particularly standout performances from Calov, Dorsey, and Issa Saidi.
SKC2 hasn’t found the same groove as Minnesota’s Twos in the early going. A streak of four consecutive losses (three regular season and one U.S. Open Cup match) was followed by a high-stakes shootout against North Texas SC, ending in SKC’s favor 5:4. The Kansas City side will be eager to secure their first three-point performance, but we’ll see if Minnesota shows any mercy at Children’s Mercy Victory Field on Wednesday, April 9, 6:00 p.m. CT. You can get in on the action live at MLSNEXTPRO.com.
