ARLINGTON, TX – Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2 went toe-to-toe with Western Conference leaders North Texas SC, but fell to a 3-2 defeat in the conference quarterfinals of the 2024 MLS NEXT Pro Playoffs on Sunday night at Choctaw Stadium.
Despite a strong start to the match, WFC2 fell behind early. North Texas SC forward Pedrinho brought a cross-field ball down in the box and squared it back to Herbert Endeley, who blasted a shot past 'Caps goalkeeper Max Anchor to give the home side the 1-0 lead.
The young 'Caps responded strongly to going behind. Four minutes later, Nicolas Fleuriau Chateau was sent in behind the North Texas backline. The forward was able to make his way into the box while holding off a defender and played a stunning back-heel pass for Antoine Coupland to fire his right-footed effort into the back of the net. The goal was unfortunately called off due to offside.
Coupland was active again in the 17th minute, this time unleashing a powerful left-footed strike from the top of the box that was parried away by North Texas SC goalkeeper Michael Collodi.
It was North Texas who would get the next goal in the match, as Logan Farrington set up Diego Garcia for an easy tap-in to make it 2-0.
WFC2 continued to threaten and would get one more chance on the stroke of halftime, as Mihail Gherasimencov lifted a through ball to Myles Morgan but the Canadian was unable to beat Collodi one-on-one.
Following the halftime interval, the young 'Caps came out of the gates pressing North Texas back and spending the majority of the early stages in North Texas' half.
The pressure would pay off in the 65th minute. It was Gherasimencov once again at the heart of the move, playing a left-footed ball across the field. Liam Mackenzie smartly let the ball roll through his legs to find a wide open Eliot Goldthorp, who calmly tucked away his ninth goal of the season and the club's first-ever goal in the MLS NEXT Pro Playoffs to give WFC2 some life.
Three minutes later, Finn Linder made a slolamming run through the middle of North Texas' midfield. The centre back then played Mackenzie, who found Coupland in behind the NTX backline. Coupland was able to go around the incoming Collodi but his right-footed shot was cleared off the line by Endeley, narrowly giving the young 'Caps a deserved equalizer.
That equalizer would arrive in the 74th minute. After Immanuel Mathe made his way forward into the North Texas half, Goldthorp played hero as he unleashed an incredible, low strike from distance to tie the match up at 2-2.
However, North Texas found the eventual gamewinner through substitute Thomas Pondeca in the 85th minute, putting a close on a memorable season for the young 'Caps.
MATCH DETAILS
Referee: Lorenzo Hernandez
Scoring Summary
8’ – NTX – Herbert Endeley (Pedrinho)
29’ – NTX – Diego Garcia (Logan Farrington)
65’ – VAN – Eliot Goldthorp (Mihail Gherasimencov)
74’ – VAN – Eliot Goldthorp (Immanuel Mathe)
85’ – NTX – Thomas Pondeca (Tyshawn Rose)
Statistics
Possession: NTX 70% - VAN 30%
Shots: NTX 19 - VAN 9
Shots on Goal: NTX 8 - VAN 5
Saves: NTX 2 - VAN 5
Fouls: NTX 10 - VAN 10
Offsides: NTX 3 - VAN 5
Corners: NTX 5 - VAN 6
Cautions
79’ – NTX – Thomas Pondeca
North Texas SC
30.Michael Collodi; 5.Nico Gordon, 18.Carl Sainté (8.Nicholas Mendonca 89'), 6.Mads Westergren; 27.Herbert Endeley (4.Turner Humphrey 89'), 32.Nolan Norris, 50.Diego Garcia, 12.Tyshawn Rose; 10.Pedrinho Fonseca (35.Thomas Pondeca 64'), 23.Logan Farrington (41.Tarik Scott 64'), 99.Enes Sali (51.Anthony Ramirez 81')
Substitutes not used
13.Antonion Carrera, 7.Abdoul Zanne, 14.Daniel Baran, 36.Malik Henry-Scott
Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2
50.Max Anchor; 56.Immanuel Mathe (46.Darko Ilić 82'), 53.Buster Sjöberg ©️, 83.Finn Linder, 54.Mihail Gherasimencov; 49.Malek Mehri (48.Malcolm Simmons HT), 97.Liam Mackenzie; 43.Antoine Coupland, 41.Eliot Goldthorp; 44.Myles Morgan (27.Giuseppe Bovalina HT), 52.Nicolas Fleuriau Chateau
Substitutes not used
90.Alexander Milošević, 51.Dembo Saidykhan, 55.Cyprian Kachwele, 95.Joshué Ndakala
