The penultimate week of June will feature another busy slate of MLS NEXT Pro action with many teams aiming to end Matchday 14 on a high note.
Thursday’s two-match slate features MNUFC2’s trip to St. Louis CITY2 and Whitecaps FC 2’s hosting of LAFC2 in a pair of Western Conference affairs. Friday’s lone match comes from Gillette Stadium where New England Revolution 2 hosts TFC II.
A total of nine matches comes your way on Sunday with ATL UTD 2 hosting NYCFC II and Tacoma Defiance facing Austin FC II in the headlining contests.
Here is a closer look at the Matchday 14 schedule:
Thursday - 6/22
St. Louis CITY 2 vs. MNUFC2 (8 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV)
St. Louis CITY2 gets Matchday 14 underway with a home showdown against MNUFC2 on Thursday night.
Bobby Murphy’s squad rebounded from back-to-back league losses by rolling past Real Monarchs 4-1 on Sunday. AJ Palazzolo set the tone with a goal in the first minute before Sergio Rivas, Wan Kuzain, and Didi Armstrong all added goals of their own later in the match. CITY2 fell 3-1 to MNUFC2 back in April and will be seeking revenge to continue their move up the Western Conference standings.
MNUFC’s three-match losing streak came to an end on Sunday thanks to a 2-0 home triumph over Whitecaps FC 2. Emmanuel Iwe and Kameron Lacey scored six minutes apart in the second half before Whitecaps FC 2 were reduced to 10 men in stoppage time. Iwe and Lacey have combined for seven goals and two assists in league play this season.
Whitecaps FC 2 vs. LAFC2 (10 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV)
Whitecaps FC 2 have been shutout twice in their last three matches and will be hoping to turn that around Thursday at Swangard Stadium.
Ricardo Clark’s men suffered a 2-0 loss to MNUFC2 on Sunday, falling five points behind second place Austin FC II and six points behind West leaders Colorado Rapids 2. Whitecaps FC 2 are unbeaten in their last five home matches at Swangard Stadium and already earned two points in their 3-2 shootout result against LAFC2 back on April 2.
Something needs to change immediately for LAFC2 to start a surge up the West standings. A 2-0 home loss to Sporting KC II was LAFC2’s third-straight defeat in which they failed to find the back of the net. Julian Gaines and Ladji Malle will be seeking to end that streak as they continue to be two of the bright spots for LAFC2 this season.
Friday - 6/23
New England Revolution II vs. TFC II (8 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV)
New England Revolution II’s five-match home unbeaten streak will be put to the test on Friday against TFC II.
Clint Peay’s squad have not lost at home since April 21, moving up the East standings despite up-and-down road form. A 2-1 road loss to FC Cincinnati 2 was Revs II’s second in the past four matches though, which has them four points back of Crown Legacy FC for the top spot in the East. Jordan Adebayo-Smith scored his sixth goal in the process on Sunday, continuing a positive offseason campaign for him.
TFC II has earned seven points out of the past 12 available, most recently defeating ATL UTD 2 by a 4-3 shootout scoreline. 18-year-old Markus Cimermancic has been a consistent performer for TFC II’s midfield, logging one goal and three assists in 1,077 minutes played. Jesus Batiz has also been key in front of goal, scoring six times so far.
Sunday - 6/25
Columbus Crew 2 vs. Huntsville City FC (5 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV)
Columbus Crew 2 have continued to stay just behind Crown Legacy FC in the East standings after earning their eighth league win of the season on Sunday.
A 3-2 road win over NYCFC II on Sunday featured a brace from Noah Fuson and a late winning goal from Gibran Rayo at Belson Stadium. The attacking duo has combined for nine goals and five assists so far in 2023.
Huntsville City FC will try and extend its winning run to four matches with an upset victory over Crew 2 on Sunday. Jack Collison’s squad shutout Inter Miami II by a 2-0 scoreline on Sunday, using second-half goals from Shaun Joash and Jonathan Bolanos to do so. Huntsville City FC have scored two goals or more in each of their last four matches, which has been a positive turnaround this June.
Crown Legacy FC vs. Chicago Fire II (5 p.m. ET, MLSNEXTPro.com)
Chicago Fire II have earned 10 points out of a possible 12 in their last four matches and will be seeking a statement win on Matchday 14 against Crown Legacy FC.
A 5-2 road triumph over Philadelphia Union II on Sunday was led by multi-goal outings from Victor Bezerra and Sergio Oregel at Subaru Park. Fire II have scored 11 goals in their last three road matches, which also featured a 4-2 romp over Columbus Crew 2 and a 4-3 shootout loss to New England Revolution II.
Crown Legacy FC will be seeking a regular season sweep of Fire II on Sunday on home soil after defeating them 1-0 back in late-May. David Poreba’s goal was all that was needed in that contest. Poreba continues to be a key contributor for the expansion side this season, logging 1,146 minutes played (second-most in squad), three goals and three assists.
Houston Dynamo 2 vs. Earthquakes II (7 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV)
Only two points separate Houston Dynamo 2 and Earthquakes II in the Western Conference standings heading into Matchday 14.
Dynamo Dos’ five-match unbeaten run ended on Thursday following a 2-1 home defeat at the hands of Timbers2. Yair Gonzalez scored for the second-straight match, continuing to be a key offensive threat in recent weeks. His four goals scored in 2023 rank as the second-most on the roster.
Earthquakes II used a stoppage-time winner from 16-year-old Cruz Medina to defeat North Texas SC 1-0 on Friday. Daniel De Geer’s squad have earned points in each of their last three matches, defeating Tacoma Defiance in a shootout on Matchday 12. Quakes II have continued to be one of the stingiest teams to break down, with their 11 goals conceded ranking as the second-fewest in MLS NEXT Pro this season.
New York Red Bulls II vs. FC Cincinnati 2 (7 p.m. ET, MLSNEXTPro.com)
New York Red Bulls II and FC Cincinnati 2 will meet for the first time in MLS NEXT Pro on Sunday night.
Red Bulls II failed to hang on Sunday night in an eventual 6-5 shootout defeat to Crown Legacy FC. Ibrahim Kasule’s second-half penalty kick boosted the visitors in front, but Bento Estrela’s ejection paired with Vinicius Mello’s late equalizer forced the shootout. The 19-year-old Kasule leads Red Bulls II in goals (4) and assists (2) so far in 2023.
FC Cincinnati 2 rebounded from back-to-back defeats on Sunday with a 2-1 home triumph over New England Revolution II. A Joao Victor Souza own goal paired with Gerardo Valenzuela’s second-half finish was all Tyrone Marshall’s squad needed to move to 11th in the East standings. Valenzuela has excelled in recent weeks, totaling three goals so far this season in the FCC2 attack.
Sporting KC II vs. North Texas SC (7 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV)
Two Western Conference clubs coming off opposite Matchday 13 results will meet at Rock Chalk Park on Sunday night.
Sporting KC II blanked LAFC 2 on Sunday night after using first-half goals from Josh Coan and Ethan Bryant to earn a 2-0 result. Benny Feilhaber’s squad are up to sixth place in the West after a pair of positive results and will now try and earn a second-ever league win over North Texas SC.
NTX suffered back-to-back losses to Timbers2 and Earthquakes II respectively, putting added pressure on a Matchday 14 trip to SKC II. The continued loss of Bernard Kamungo to the FC Dallas first team picture has hurt NTX, but Tyshawn Rose and Jose Mulato are capable of joining forces in the final third.
ATL UTD 2 vs. NYCFC II (7:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV)
ATL UTD 2 welcomes NYCFC II to Fifth Third Bank Stadium on Sunday, seeking to snap a three-match losing run in the process.
Back-to-back shootout losses to Columbus Crew 2 and TFC II have dropped ATL UTD 2 into seventh place in the East. Nick Firmino continues to lead the team with eight goals in 2023 while Karim Tmimi has also chipped in five of his own. However, the lively duo might need help elsewhere to truly turn things around this summer.
After rolling to four-straight wins, NYCFC II have suffered back-to-back losses in the last week. A 1-0 road loss to New England Revolution II was followed up by a 3-2 defeat at the hands of Columbus Crew 2. Matt Myers scored a brace in Sunday’s home loss, giving him seven tallies in total for the 2023 campaign.
Colorado Rapids 2 vs. LA Galaxy II (8:30 p.m. ET, MLSNEXTPro.com)
Colorado Rapids 2 suffered their first loss of 2023 on Sunday night and now it will be intriguing to see their response on Matchday 14.
A 2-1 home loss to Tacoma Defiance featured two early goals from the visitors that Rapids 2 could not rebound from. Blake Malone cut the deficit in half with 12 minutes to play, but Erik Bushey’s squad failed to find a tying goal to force a shootout. With Austin FC II right on their tail, Rapids 2 will seek a similar performance against LA Galaxy II like their 5-0 victory back on May 7. Yosuke Hanya scored twice in their first showdown.
LA Galaxy II have only earned three points out of their last 12 available heading into a tough trip to Colorado Rapids 2. Aaron Bibout has scored eight of Galaxy II’s 17 total goals this season, meaning others need to join the French striker in turning things around. Bibout has scored four goals in his last four appearances for Galaxy II.
Timbers2 vs. Real Monarchs (9 p.m. ET, MLSNEXTPro.com)
11th hosts 12th in Western Conference action as Timbers2 face off with Real Monarchs.
A 4-0 road loss to Austin FC II on Sunday ended Timbers2’s winning streak at four matches, but still it’s been a positive run overall for Shannon Murray’s squad. Florian Monzon has six goals in total in 2023 while Tega Ikoba and Josh Penn have two goals apiece in their last four appearances. All three will be needed if Timbers2 wants to earn their first regulation victory over Real Monarchs in league play.
Real Monarchs have lost three of their last four matches, most recently suffering a 4-1 defeat at the hands of St. Louis CITY2 on Sunday. Daron Iskenderian scored his second goal of the season for Monarchs, becoming the eighth player on the roster to find the back of the net in 2023. However, Monarchs will be looking at everyone to score if they want to end their four-match unbeaten run in regulation play.
Tacoma Defiance vs. Austin FC II (10 p.m. ET, MLSNEXTPro.com)
Sunday’s finale features a mouthwatering clash between Tacoma Defiance and Austin FC II.
Austin FC II are finding their groove once again after blanking Timbers2 by a 4-0 scoreline on Sunday. Brett Uttley’s squad have won four-straight matches, outscoring their opponents 9-0 over that span. Sebastien Pineau led the way on Sunday with his first MLS NEXT Pro brace while David Rodriguez continued his positive campaign by adding his fifth goal of 2023.
Tacoma Defiance earned their result of the season so far after defeating West-leading Colorado Rapids 2 by a 2-1 scoreline. First-half goals from Stuart Hawkins and Raul Migiletti was all Wade Webber’s bunch needed to earn their first regulation victory since May 5. Sunday’s showdown starts a crucial three-match homestand for the Defiance, who will also take on Houston Dynamo 2 and North Texas SC in the coming weeks.
