The second matchweek of MLS NEXT Pro featured a free kick GOLAZO, a penalty kick from the spot SAVED in stoppage time, the fastest goal in MLS NEXT Pro history and only ONE team has claimed six points through both matchweeks.
Here is your week two recap by the numbers.
Speedy quick delivery: 1 goal delivered in under 2 minutes
Sporting Kansas City II midfielder and captain Collin Fernandez scored the fastest goal in MLS NEXT Pro history, finding the back of the net at the 1:51 mark of their match against MNUFC2 at Allianz Field Sunday afternoon. SKCII went on to win 2-0, with Fernandez assisting on the winner midway through the second half of MLS NEXT Pro’s Game of the Week.
SKCII had two shots on target in the opening two minutes, but Fernandez was sure not to miss on their second attempt.
“YOU SHALL NOT PASS”: 5 saves, 2 punched clearances, and 1 stoppage-time penalty kick save
FCC2 goalkeeper Roman Celentano came up big with a penalty kick save in the 93rd minute of their 2-1 victory over TFC II Sunday afternoon. The 21-year-old goalkeeper dove to his left, denying Themi Antonoglou an equalizing goal. Celentano made five saves, had two punching clearances, and put on a man-of-the-match performance, conceding once despite Opta Data expecting 2.6 goals to be allowed during the entire 90 minutes.
Celentano with some great instincts on this save. Check it out.
1 team, 33 crosses, 0 goals
Once again, in the Game of the Week, MNUFC2 performed admirably, but luck was not on their side as they sent 33 crosses into the box against SKCII Sunday afternoon at Allianz Field but failed to find the back of the net throughout the match. Talk about bad luck.
Early Golden Boot leaders: 2 players, 3 goals each
Seattle Sounders homegrown product Alfonso Ocampo-Chavez and New England Revolution homegrown product Damian Rivera are tied atop the scoring charts in MLS NEXT Pro with three goals through the first two weeks of the season.
Here’s Ocampo-Chavez finding the back of the net and scoring the only goal for the Defiance in their 1-1 draw (6-5 PK loss) against North Texas SC.
1 stays perfect: 2 matches, 6 points
Inter Miami II plays Philadelphia Union II today, and both have one victory. Still, Houston Dynamo 2 are the only MLS NEXT Pro side to claim three points twice through the first two matchweeks of the season, with back-to-back 1-0 wins seeing them atop the Western Conference and the league table.
23 goals gathered
In week two of the inaugural MLS NEXT Pro season, 23 goals were scored between 18 teams. Four teams produced shutouts, while New England Revolution II was the highest scoring side in their 3-1 victory over RNY FC.
Check out Revs II's second goal from Sean O’Hearn. A free-kick banger.
Things got feisty: 33 yellow cards were issued across 9 matches
It's a pretty wild stat. I had to look over my math three or four times to make sure I wasn't crazy. After all, I was a journalism major, not a math major.
33 yellows, with 8 issued between Real Monarchs and WFC2, including a double yellow and a sending off for Monarchs defender Ethan Zamora.
6 fouls, 6 penalties, 5 goals
During the regulation 90 minutes in week two of MLS NEXT Pro, six penalty kicks were issued by referees during the matches, with all but one kick from the spot ending up in the back of the net. FCC2 goalkeeper Roman Celentano was the only goalkeeper to save a penalty kick in regulation.
