MLS NEXT Pro’s inaugural season continues this weekend as Houston Dynamo 2 hosts Whitecaps FC 2 in the first-ever league game for both teams. The match will take place Saturday at Aveva Stadium and will be the league’s second featured “Game of the Week.” The first kick is scheduled for 9 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. local time.
We will dive-in and learn more about each team, their coaches expectations, look at the players to watch, and review their pre-season performances.
How To Watch:
You can catch the action and all MLS NEXT Pro games throughout this season live on mlsnextpro.com.
Houston Dynamo 2: Western Conference; Frontier Division
Head Coach: Kenny Bundy manages Dynamo Dos and has been with the organization since 2016.
“I’m thrilled to be the first head coach for Houston Dynamo 2. I want to thank Pat Onstad, Asher Mendelsohn, John Walker, Nick Kowba and the entire technical staff for giving me this opportunity,” Bundy said on the club’s official site. “As we navigate this new initiative, our mission as a staff is to give the best young talent an opportunity to thrive. If we are successful at that, hopefully those players can develop into high-quality contributors at the MLS level.”
Players To Watch: A player to watch from the orange squad is Juan Castilla, who became the club’s youngest homegrown player when he signed a contract in June 2020, at the age of 15. The Colombian-born midfielder joined the Dynamo’s Academy Under-12 level in 2016 at only 11-years-old, and made his MLS debut in October 2021 against the Colorado Rapids.
Another player to keep tabs on is Brooklyn Raines, another Dynamo homegrown player. Raines stands out for training with Austrian side RB Salzburg this past winter and being a member of the Barcelona Academy in Arizona. Ethan Bartlow was selected sixth overall in the first round of the 2021 MLS SuperDraft and is back after missing out on most of last season due to a concussion.
Pre-season Performance: The Dynamo Dos squad had four pre-season matches. They fell to San Antonio FC 2-1, defeated FC Tulsa 1-0, lost 2-0 against Rio Grande Valley FC, and won 2-0 against North Texas SC in the last game of the pre-season, which was their first match against an MLS NEXT Pro Team.
Houston Dynamo 2 used this starting XI their last pre-season game vs. North Texas SC: Xavier Valdez; Jathan Juarez, Ethan Bartlow, Talen Maples, Ian Hoffman; Juan Castilla, Marcelo Palomino, Brooklyn Raines; Papa Ndoye, Kyle Edwards, and Beto Avila.
Whitecaps FC 2: West Conference; Pacific Division
Head Coach: Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame member Nick Dasovic leads the Whitecaps FC 2 squad.
“Our goal is to help these young players reach their potential,” said Dasovic about his new managerial position with WCFC2. “I’ve been through this before in my own career, so I’m looking forward to supporting, guiding, and pushing them.”
Players To Watch: A WFC2 player to watch is 19-year-old Emilio Brienza, who was the team’s first signing and the first MLS NEXT Pro player to receive an MLS call-up after signing a short-term contract. The Mexican-born attacker debuted with Vancouver’s first team in their 2022 opening day match-up against Columbus Crew on February 26. Brienza has also participated with Canada during the 2019 FIFA U-17 World Cup. The homegrown player has been part of the Whitecaps Youth Academy since 2018.
Other players to watch are midfielder Giovanni Aguilar, a second-round draft pick in the 2022 MLS SuperDraft, and Ali Ahmed. The latter is a wingback who caught the attention of the club’s first team after his performance during its pre-season.
Pre-season Performance: In two WFC2 pre-season games, the team fell 3-2 to Valour FC and were defeated 4-3 via penalties after a 0-0 regulation draw with York United FC.
Whitecaps FC 2 used this starting XI their last pre-season game vs. York United FC: Ben Alexander; Matteo Campagna, Joshué Ndakala, Finn Linder, Elage Bah, Owen Antoniuk, Luis Fernandez-Salvador, Chris Lee, Filip Rakic, Joe Hanson.
