One of the most action-packed matchdays in MLS NEXT Pro yet continued Thursday with more midweek matches. Plenty of goals and stunning individual performances colored the proceedings on a busy Thursday.
Here is a look back at Thursday's matches in Matchday 13.
Columbus Crew 2 (1) - Atlanta United 2 (2) (Crew 2 wins shootout 6-5)
Brent Adu-Gyamfi scored his first professional goal in a key moment, as Columbus Crew 2 claimed two points at home. Adu-Gyamfi's stoppage-time equalizer canceled out a Jackson Conway volley in the 76th minute. Coleman Gannon scored the winning spot kick for Crew 2.
ATL UTD 2 striker Nick Firmino continued his hot streak, scoring his eighth goal of the season. Firmino moved into a tie for second in the MLS NEXT Pro Golden Boot race. Luke Brennan also starred for ATL UTD 2, assisting both of his team's goals. Crew 2's Gibran Rayo started things off, scoring on the end of a smart run onto a long ball forward in the ninth minute.
ATL UTD 2 continues to put forth strong performances, with three wins from the previous four games. Crew 2 is searching for consistency, having dropped a match after last week's impressive win over Crown Legacy FC.
TFC II (1) - Huntsville City FC (2)
Kemy Amiche scored his third goal in the previous two games and Joshua Drack supplied the winning goal to help Huntsville City FC secure a second win in a row.
Amiche's first-time hit sent a cross by Jonathan Bolanos into the net in the 29th minute. Drack finished off a cross from Perrin Barnes at the back post in the 64th minute to double the lead. Jesus Batiz pulled a goal back for TFC II deep into stoppage time.
Fresh off signing a contract with Nashville SC as the club's first-ever Homegrown player, forward Adem Sipic received his second straight for HCFC.
HCFC started a two-game winning streak, to pair with a 4-2 home win against St Louis CITY2 last weekend. The result halted TFC II's momentum, after the Canadian club earned five points from the previous two games.
Chicago Fire FC II (1) - Orlando City B (0)
A lone goal from Charlie Ostrem in the first half proved enough for Chicago Fire FC II to take all three points from a home match against Orlando City B. Ostrem struck in the 24th minute, finding plenty of space at the back post to head in a high-arcing cross from Jonathan Dean.
OCB was shut out for only the third time in the 2023 season. Fire II stretched an unbeaten run to three games, while OCB had its momentum halted after three wins over the past month.
Houston Dynamo 2 (1) - Timbers2 (2)
A converted penalty kick from Florian Monzon and a breakaway goal for Tega Ikoba propelled Timbers2 to a come-from-behind away win to halt Houston Dynamo 2's surge in the Western Conference.
Monzon is on fire for Timbers2 this season, with six goals in his last seven games. He dispatched his 70th-minute penalty kick into the bottom left corner to put T2 ahead. Ikoba scored in the 39th minute, capitalizing on a defensive miscue and speeding past defenders before making a calm finish. Yair Gonzalez opened scoring for Dynamo Dos with a penalty kick in the 24th minute.
T2, previously a struggling Western Conference side, is now on a four-match winning streak. Dynamo Dos saw its five-match unbeaten streak, which included four wins, snapped.
Sporting KC II (2) - Tacoma Defiance (2) (SKC II wins shootout 5-4)
Sporting KC II grabbed the extra point, with goalkeeper John Pulskamp making one shootout save, after Tacoma Defiance equalized late in a tight match at Rock Chalk Park. Defiance's Braudilio Rodrigues scored a 76th-minute penalty kick to send the match to a shootout.
Pau Vidal put SKC II ahead with his seventh goal of the season in the 68th minute. Ozzie Cisneros first put SKC II ahead in the 42nd minute, a goal that was canceled out by Paul Rothrock's 47th-minute equalizer.
SKC II picked up points for the second match in a row, while Defiance fell to a second straight shootout loss.
Whitecaps FC 2 (1) - Real Monarchs (0)
Levonte Johnson fired Whitecaps FC 2 in front in the 56th minute, and his goal was all they needed to lock up three points against Real Monarchs Thursday night. Johnson dribbled into the box before chipping the ball over the goalkeepr for a clever finish.
The goal was Johnson's sixth of the season. Whitecaps FC 2 goalkeeper Max Anchor made four saves as he recorded a clean sheet.
Whitecaps FC 2 returned to form with their first win in the month of June, while Real Monarchs continue to struggle for consistency and find themselves outside of playoff spots in the Western Conference.
