Incredible performances abounded in MLS NEXT Pro Matchday 11, including an incredible comeback from NYCFC II and a last-gasp finish for Colorado Rapids 2. Rapids 2 improbably extended a league record unbeaten streak. Many more surprising results followed over the weekend.
Let's take a look back at the results in Matchday 11.
Tacoma Defiance (0) - St Louis CITY2 (2)
St Louis CITY2 reached five games unbeaten thanks to two first-half goals from Caden Glover and John Klein. CITY2 continues to push up the table, taking down a fellow midtable side in this match.
Caden Glover opened scoring in the 10th minute, striking home a rebounded save. Klein scored his sixth goal of the season just four minutes later, latching onto an excellent pass from Wan Kuzain.
Defiance saw its five-game home unbeaten streak to an end, while CITY2 has now taken 12 points from the previous five games.
Columbus Crew 2 (2) - Chicago Fire FC II (4)
Four different scorers lifted Chicago Fire FC II past Columbus Crew 2 in an Eastern Conference clash Sunday afternoon. Fire II's Harold Osorio notched three assists as his team earned the win. Osorio, with four assists on the season, is now tied for second among assist leaders in MLS NEXT Pro.
Crew 2 attempted a comeback, with Marco Micaletto scoring in the 70th minute and Isaiah Parente scoring in the eighth minute of stoppage time.
Fire II snapped out of a two-game losing streak, while Crew 2's struggles continue. Crew 2 lost its third game in a row with Sunday's loss.
FC Cincinnati 2 (2) - Philadelphia Union II (1)
Bret Halsey and Gerardo Valenzuela combined to lead FC Cincinnati 2 to a home win, ending a positive run of form for Philadelphia Union II.
Halsey finished off an excellent run in the 42nd minute, with a cool finish to the bottom right corner to put his team up 1-0. Valenzuela scored with an impressive turn and shot in the 59th minute to double the lead. Union II pulled a goal back with Luciano Sanchez dribbling into the middle of the box and scoring. Union II, however, fell to 10 men in the 48th minute, allowing FCC2 to expand its control of the match.
FCC2 got back on track with a win after last week's loss to NYCFC II. Union II failed to score two or more goals for the first time since April 30.
Huntsville City FC (3) - NYCFC II (4)
NYCFC II completed one of the most incredible comebacks so far in the 2023 season, storming back from a 3-0 deficit to earn all three points against Huntsville City FC at Joe Davis Stadium. Matthew Myers scored the winning goal in the 71st minute.
Myers scored two goals in the match. NYCFC II's comeback started in the 38th minute, with a goal from Ronald Arevalo to make it 3-1. Jonathan Jimenez scored in the 50th minute, and just one minute later, Myers notched his first goal of the game. Jimenez also assisted Myers' game-winner, sending a pass into the box for Myers to run onto and finish into the far corner of the goal from close range.
HCFC built a 3-0 lead with goals from Azaad Liadi, Nebiyou Perry, and Shaun Joash. HCFC fell a man down after a red card to Oliver Wright in the 72nd minute.
The improbable victory brought NYCFC II to three wins in a row. HCFC had its momentum halted after going unbeaten in the previous two matches.
New York Red Bulls II (4) - New England Revolution II (1)
New York Red Bulls II continued a strong run of form with a win against an Eastern Conference contender in New England Revolution II. Julian Hall led the charge for Red Bulls II, scoring a goal and adding an assist.
Two goals before halftime allowed Red Bulls II to establish the lead. Oladayo Thomas scored in the 39th minute, and Ronald Donkor added another in the first minute of stoppage time to send Red Bulls II into halftime up 3-1. Ibrahim Kasule added another goal in the 71st minute to lift Red Bulls II to a dominant home win.
Red Bulls II got back on track after last week's loss, and have now earned four wins from the last five matches. Revs II's four-game winning streak ended with Sunday's loss.
Atlanta United 2 (5) - Inter Miami II (0)
Atlanta United 2 stretched an unbeaten run to three games with a dominant showing against Inter Miami II. ATL UTD 2's Nick Firmino scored two goals in two minutes to put the game out of reach. Firmino also added an assist in the Man of the Match performance.
David Mejia scored his first professional goal, and then added another goal for ATL UTD 2 in the final seconds. Mejia also picked up an assist on Firmino's second goal.
Erik Centeno knocked in a rebound from a save to open scoring in the 16th minute. After Inter Miami II went down a man with a second yellow card in the 34th minute, Firmino made the advantage count with goals in the 66th and 68th minute.
ATL UTD 2 has taken six points from the past three matches, but Sunday's win was the club's first win since April 30. Inter Miami II fell to a third straight loss.
Colorado Rapids 2 (2) - Earthquakes II (2) (Rapids 2 wins shootout 4-2)
Colorado Rapids 2 kept its unbeaten streak going in incredible fashion, with Daouda Amadou scoring in the final seconds to send the match to a shootout. Rapids 2 also took the shootout win with two shootout saves from goalkeeper Adam Beaudry.
Amadou's last-gasp goal came as Rapids 2 won a corner kick deep into stoppage time. With the final whistle inevitably coming next, Amadou headed in the tying goal at the back post off of Dillon Serna's corner kick.
Earthquakes II led 2-0 until the 82nd minute, when MLS NEXT Pro leading scorer Yosuke Hanya drew a penalty and converted it. The penalty kick call led to a red card, which allowed Rapids 2 to push harder for the equalizer.
Jack Skahan led Quakes II's effort to spoil the unbeaten streak, with a goal in the 33rd minute and the assist of William Richmond's goal in the 59th minute.
Rapids 2 set a new MLS NEXT Pro record with an 11-match unbeaten streak, the longest in league history.
TFC II (3) - Orlando City B (0)
TFC II's attack hummed in a winning effort at York Lions Stadium. Markus Cimermancic shined, scoring a goal and adding an assist.
Reshaun Walkes struck first for TFC II, finishing after a half-clearance at the far post in the 33rd minute. TFC II scored just two minutes later, with Markus Cimermancic striking into the bottom left corner. Cimermancic assisted Jesus Batiz' 72nd-minute goal by playing him in on goal for a close-range shot.
TFC II reinvigorated its attack as it earned a win after dropping two straight matches. OCB ended a two-match winning streak with the loss.
North Texas SC (2) - LA Galaxy II (0)
A brace from 17-year-old Anthony Ramirez guided the club to a home win over their Western Conference rivals. Ramirez scored his first professional goal in the 50th minute, then added a second just six minutes later.
A perfectly placed shot by Ramirez hit the right post and rolled in the net in the 50th minute. Later, he jumped in front of a defender to score from a Tomas Pondeca cross.
North Texas extended an unbeaten run to six matches, and has also halted a four-match streak of shootout losses. LA Galaxy II continues to struggle, making it three matches without a win.
Saturday's games
Timbers2 (4) - MNUFC2 (2)
Timbers2 put forth its best attacking output so far this season, scoring four goals to beat MNUFC2 at Providence Park. Florian Monzon led Timbers2 with two goals.
Monzon opened scoring in the 6th minute, connecting with Dawson McCartney's cross. Tega Ikoba doubled the lead by converting a penalty kick in the 20th minute. Monzon scored again in the 65th minute, making it 3-1 with a sliding finish from Keesean Ferdinand's low drive cross. Victor Griffith completed the rout with an 81st-minute goal.
Timbers2 earned back-to-back wins for the first time this season. MNUFC2, on the other hand, fell to two losses in a row.
Los Angeles Football Club 2 (0) - Houston Dynamo 2 (2)
Houston Dynamo 2's Diego Gonzalez made it three games in a row with a goal, helping his team stretch an unbeaten run to four games.
Gonzalez cleverly finished off a perfectly weighted pass from Charles Auguste to open scoring in the 58th minute. Papa Ndoye added the second goal, finishing from a pass across the face of goal by Isaiah LeFlore.
Dynamo Dos put in another outstanding defensive effort, earning a third shutout in the previous four games. Auguste led the defensive effort with six tackles.
LAFC 2's offensive struggles continued, and the club saw its three-game unbeaten streak end with the loss. Dynamo Dos rose to fourth in the Western Conference, in shooting distance of third-place Austin FC II.
Friday's games
Austin FC II (3) - Real Monarchs (0)
A brace from David Rodriguez brought Austin FC II a convincing home win against Real Monarchs. Valentin Noel added a third goal for Austin FC II as the club ended a three-game losing streak.
Rodriguez brought his 2023 goal total to four goals. In the 38th minute, he picked up on a poor clearance and found the net from the middle of the box. He scored again, two minutes into the second half, causing a turnover and round the goalkeeper to score comfortably.
Austin FC II continued its excellent home form, two weeks after dropping the only home game of the season to Earthquakes II. Real Monarchs' struggles continue, with only three points from the previous four games.
Whitecaps FC 2 (1) - Sporting KC II (1) (Whitecaps FC 2 wins shootout 5-4)
Whitecaps FC 2 continued an unbeaten streak of four games with a home win against Western Conference rival Sporting KC II. Sporting KC II equalized through Ethan Bryant in the 72nd minute, but Whitecaps FC 2 won the shootout after goalkeeper Thomas Hasal saved the fifth spot kick.
Whitecaps FC 2 struck first in the 58th minute, with Jean Claude Ngando making his way deep into the box, and finding Levonte Johnson, who scored at the back post.
Whitecaps FC 2 have taken nine points from the past four matches, while SKC II hit a rough patch with two points from the past three games.
