After dropping a second match to Houston Dynamo 2 by a score of 3-1, the Twos will look to round out their three-match tour of Texas when they face off against Austin FC II this Wednesday night at 8 p.m. at Parmer Field.

While the Twos ended up on the wrong side of the result against Houston for the second time, there were positives to take away from the loss. Among the highlights was striking first on the scoreboard in the 33rd minute, when a corner service found defender Finn McRobb near the six-yard line. McRobb headed the ball toward the left flank, where Twos’ speedster Jordan Adebayo-Smith finished with precision. Unfortunately for McRobb, just a few minutes later, he experienced the other end of the spectrum when his attempt to clear the ball out of the defensive third resulted in a misdirected header into the Twos’ own goal, allowing Houston to equalize. However, given the talent McRobb has consistently shown this season, the young defender is expected to bounce back against Austin.

While the news regarding Kage Romanshyn Jr.’s injury was a tough pill to swallow for the Twos, they won’t be lacking leadership on the pitch. Midfielder Rory O’Driscoll will continue to sport the captain’s armband, still providing the squad with a veteran presence and stability. Having another experienced leader is crucial, especially with this Texas tour providing valuable opportunities for standouts from the MNUFC Academy to earn minutes at the MLS NEXT Pro level.

One recent success story from the Academy is striker Darius Randell, who just signed a contract with MNUFC2 after making the most of his opportunities. Now, other Academy prospects—such as midfielders Anderson Farris and Aiden Martinez—will look to follow in Randell’s footsteps by impressing at the next level and making their own case for earning a full-time spot with MNUFC2. Hopefully, this match against Austin FC II will give them the chance to prove themselves and secure a more permanent place on the roster. Not only that, the Twos have played Austin tough during the 2024 season, playing to a draw in their three previous contests, winning two out of three of the shootouts that followed. Hopefully, the Twos can continue that trend and find one more positive result at Austin’s expense.

See if MNUFC2 can take down Austin FC II this Wednesday at 8:00 p.m. at Parmer Field by heading over to MLSNEXTPro.com and stream the match for FREE.