MLS NEXT Pro Matchday 3 is officially underway, and Friday night's action kicked things off in dramatic fashion.
There seems to be something special about Parmer Field, the home of Austin FC II. For the second time in as many events it has hosted, a thriller that saw the home fans go home happy unfolded. Two late goals undid 83 minutes of uncertainty for the fans in attendance and rewarded their support as ATXFCII stunned the Tacoma Defiance.
In St. Louis, Houston Dynamo 2 got back to its winning ways with a comeback of its own in the form of a convincing road effort over St Louis CITY2.
Here is a closer look at MLS NEXT Pro's Friday night action:
Austin FC II (2) - Tacoma Defiance (1)
Austin FC II stayed unbeaten through three Matchdays, but it was not by much.
Their Western Conference showdown with the Tacoma Defiance had everything. Penalties, a red card, and most importantly: a stoppage-time winner from one of ATXFCII's budding stars Christo Vela.
Vela, the 18-year-old nephew of Mexican superstar Carlos, hammered the fashionably late goal needed to keep Austin FC II unbeaten in 2023 and treat the fans in attendance at Parmer Field to a thriller.
Until then, the game looked like it was destined for a shootout and the teams swapped penalties for some early target practice.
Tacoma Defiance broke the game's deadlock in the 22nd minute thanks to defender Abdoulaye Cissoko being cool from the spot. His successful penalty marked his third goal of the season, which places him firmly in the mix of early golden boot race mix.
The Defiance did their best to hold down the fort, but their lead was undone in an action-packed second half.
In the 66th minute, Travian Sousa was factored out of the game for picking up his second yellow which set up a challenging sprint toward the finish. The task was too tall, and an 84th-minute penalty concession got ATXFCII back into the game.
Midfielder Alonso Ramírez's attempt was nearly saved, but it had eyes and narrowly beat an outstretched Andrew Thomas. The goal marks Ramírez's MLS NEXT Pro account opener.
St Louis CITY2 (1) - Houston Dynamo 2 (3)
A hearty 3-1 win over the defending Western Conference champions got Houston Dynamo back on track after a pair of winless Matchdays to open the campaign.
The trio of Diego Gonzalez, Papa Ndoye, and Jacob Evans were the key difference makers, but it was technically a comeback effort after a fourth-minute concession gave CITY2 an early lead.
From the break, Dynamo Dos put together a swarm that set Gonzalez up for a wide-open rip in the box. The 20-year-old made no mistake with the golden opportunity to get his side back on equal footing. The strike is Gonzalez's first of the year, which sets him up nicely to improve upon his two-goal campaign in 2022.
His midfield line partner Papa Ndoye took the reigns in the 41st minute to give his side the advantage just before the halftime whistle.
The goal is Ndoye's second of the early season - but that wasn't all he had to offer on the evening.
Nydoye unselfishly set him up Jacob Evans to seal the win. As Dynamo Dos charged towards the CITY2 goal in the 47th minute, teamwork made the dream work as Ndyoye made two important touches in the build-up, and whipped the ball over to Evans for an authoritative finish.
MLS NEXT Pro returns on Sunday, April 9 with a 10-game slate kicking off at 5 p.m. ET with FC Cincinnati 2 hosting league newcomer Huntsville City FC.
