A three-match appetizer to Sunday's feast of MLS NEXT Pro Matchday 16 included lots of goals. But the latest, a marquee Western Conference clash, ended in a shootout between Colorado Rapids 2 and Whitecaps FC 2 following a thrilling 1-1 tie in regulation.
Austin FC II and Columbus Crew 2 emerged victorious on Friday night to maintain their respective playoff spot statuses.
Three matches are in the books and 10 remain for what's shaping up to be a memorable MLS NEXT Pro Matchday 16. Of the remaining slate, the first-ever MLS NEXT Pro edition of Los Angeles' famous El Trafico ( rivalry plays out on Sunday between LA Galaxy II and Los Angeles FC 2.
Be sure to catch all the action here at MLSNEXTPro.com and MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
Here is a closer look at the finished results of the in-progress Matchday 16:
Whitecaps FC 2 (1) - Colorado Rapids 2 (1)
Whitecaps FC 2 broke out of a string of poor results to claim a creditable points against Western Conference leaders Rapids 2, but it was Adam Beaudry who made two shootout saves to give Rapids 2 two points in the end. Marlon Vargas scored the decisive kick from the spot to seal the shootout win.
Remi Cabral provided yet another crucial second-half goal for Rapids 2, scoring from short range in the 69th minute. Whitecaps FC 2's Miaheil Gherasimencov scored an incredible goal from the left side of the field to open scoring in the 38th minute.
Friday's games
TFC II (2) - Columbus Crew 2 (3)
Columbus Crew 2 came back from a halftime deficit to earn three points on the road over TFC II. Marco Micaletto provided a goal in the 58th minute that proved to be the winner, allowing second-place Crew 2 to inch closer to Eastern Conference leaders Crown Legacy FC.
Keegan Monroe Hughes scored in the 50th minute to put the teams level at 2-2. TFC II took a 2-1 lead with goals from Markus Cimermancic in the 39th minute and Reshaun Walkes in the 41st minute.
Crew 2 continues an excellent run of form with the win, having lost only one match in the previous six. TFC II's struggles continue with a second straight loss.
Austin FC II (3) - Houston Dynamo 2 (0)
Austin FC II rose to the occasion in this in-state rivalry, as CJ Fodrey, Sebastien Pineau, and Christo Vela scored to claim a dominant victory. Austin FC II leads the season series between these Texas sides by two wins to one. Austin FC II's back line claimed its ninth clean sheet of 2023.
Fodrey opened scoring with a diving header in the 44th minute. Fodrey assisted Pineau's 56th-minute goal, putting in a driven cross that Pineau headed in. Vela scored with a curling free kick in the 79th minute to complete the rout.
Austin FC II solidified its position in second in the Western Conference with the three points. Dynamo Dos dropped its fourth game in a row.
