The dome is down and the sun is out—that means it’s time for MNUFC2 game days to come back to the National Sports Center. After battling it out as road warriors for their first four league games of the 2024 season, the Twos are finally spending a weekend at home, with their match against St .Louis CITY2 scheduled to kickoff this Friday, May 3, at 6:00 p.m. CT.
While most MLS NEXT Pro clubs have already played six matches, MNUFC2 comes into this match with just four matches under their belts, leaving them room to catch up on the rest of the conference. Despite their lack of matches, the Twos have made the most of the opportunities they’ve had, giving valuable playing time to the next generation of Loons by utilizing a smattering of Academy talent across the pitch.
Head Coach Jeremy Hall will be hoping to see the youngsters continue to grow into the professional game, but he’ll be relying on his main roster—and a few first-teamers—to lead the way. Striker Patrick Weah is in scoring form, hitting the back of the net in each of his team’s last two matches. If MNUFC2 wants to get their feet under them and make up ground on the rest of the league, they’ll need his form to continue and a bit of shoring up in the back.
As far as CITY2 is concerned, they currently sit at 6th in the Western Conference, with 12 points from their first six matches. They’ve not lost since their first game of the season and bring a five-match unbeaten run into Friday’s showdown. Needless to say, they’re in pretty fine form, and their 100% away record makes this an even steeper challenge for MNUFC2.
This St. Louis side is used to playing tight games, limiting their opponents opportunities at the expense of limiting their own chances at the other end. They’ve scored just eight times and conceded only five, and every game—save their most recent 2-0 win over Real Monarchs—has been decided by a single goal. The Loons will likely have no problem sticking around in this match, but in order to get anything positive out of it, they’ll need to find a way to break down what has been the league’s stingiest defense thus far.
Friday’s match is scheduled to kick off at 6:00 p.m. CT, with doors opening an hour before kick. If you can’t make it out to the National Sports Center to cheer on the Twos for the first time this season, streaming will be available via MLSNEXTPro.com.
