The Twos went into last Sunday afternoon with hopes of competing against Western Conference contender St. Louis CITY2. Unfortunately, the contenders flexed their muscles, handing the Twosies a 3-0 loss and leaving the lads looking for better outcomes in south Texas when they face Houston Dynamo 2 on Wednesday, August 21, at 7 p.m. at SaberCats Stadium. Wednesday’s match in Houston will kick off a 10-day road trip for the Twos, and they will stay in Texas for the entire stretch, facing Houston again this Sunday, followed by a matchup with Austin next Wednesday. The road trip presents some challenges, chief among them being the availability of first-team players, as any first-teamers who travel to Houston with the Twos will be unavailable for the Loons' game on Saturday against Seattle.
Based on last Sunday’s match against CITY2, the Twos will be focused on improving their second-half efforts after conceding all three goals in the latter period. If the Loons hope to turn the page down in Texas, the defensive third will need to work hard to solidify an area that has faced its share of quality attacking units throughout the season.
The Twos must also account for the possible absence of talented midfielder Kage Romanshyn Jr., who was subbed out in just the 36th minute after sustaining an apparent shoulder injury during the loss to CITY2. While there hasn’t been an official update on Romanshyn Jr.’s status for Wednesday night, the Twos need to be prepared to replace or, at the very least, adjust their lineup if the young playmaker is unavailable.
If there’s any silver lining for the Twos, it’s the promising play of some of their Academy members who got the chance to stand out last Sunday night. Chief among them is MNUFC Academy U17 midfielder Anderson Farris, who put in a solid performance in his first start of the season for the Twos against CITY2. Another young player to watch is defender Rayme Nyembwe, who made his debut against St. Louis after being subbed on in the second half of the match.
To see MNUFC2 take on the Houston Dynamo 2 this Wednesday, tune in at 7:00 p.m. to stream the game for FREE on MLSNEXTPro.com.
