Austin FC II defeated Whitecaps FC 2 by a 1-0 scoreline to win their second consecutive home match. The victory lifts the Verde & Black to second place in the MLS NEXT Pro Western Conference.
The first half displayed a defensive battle from both sides. The Verde and Black showed moments of promise in attack, most notably in the 37th minute through David Rodríguez and CJ Fodrey. Rodríguez calmly brought a lobbed ball to the ground, taking on his defender before sending a pass across the box. Fodrey connected with the ball, powerfully striking a low shot that rolled wide of the post.
In the 65th minute, Cheick Touré made a crucial interception, stopping a three-on-one Whitecaps 2 counterattack to build on a strong performance from the ATXFC II defense. Moments later, in the 67th minute, the tide shifted in favor of the Verde & Black as Whitecaps 2 went down to 10 men. As Christo Vela sprinted toward Thomas Hasal in a one-on-one counterattack, the Whitecaps goalkeeper made a reckless slide tackle outside the 18-yard box, resulting in a red card.
The decisive moment of the match came in the 75th minute, as Fodrey opened the scoring for ATXFC II with a header, meeting Touré’s cross from a free kick. Fodrey directed the ball in the middle of the goal past substitute Whitecaps 2 goalkeeper Cohen Park. Goalkeeper Damian Las made two saves on the night, recording a second-consecutive clean sheet and his fifth this season, the most in the league.
Goal-Scoring Summary
ATX (1-0) – CJ Fodrey (assisted by Cheick Touré) 75’
Next Match
Austin FC II will play its sixth away match and 14th match overall of the 2023 MLS NEXT Pro regular season against St. Louis CITY 2 on Wednesday, June 14 at 7:00 p.m. CT. The match will be available to watch on the Apple TV app to MLS Season Pass subscribers.
