The battle between the top two sides in MLS Next Pro’s Inaugural Power Rankings delivered on its promise for excitement on Saturday night.
Tacoma Defiance locked horns with Western Conference foe North Texas SC at Starfire Sports Complex in Tukwila, Washington, and battled to a 1-1 tie in regulation. The strikers were showcased in the nervy, back-and-forth contest as Defiance’s Alfonso Ocampo-Chávez opened the scoring in the 27th minute, his third goal season, and North Texas SC’s Bernard Kamungo found an equalizer in the 70th.
North Texas SC earned the extra point in the shootout, but it was challenging and the highest-scoring to date, ending 6-5 in its favor.
The shootout ending was a fitting one. Neither side was shy about shooting (Defiance: 14, North Texas SC:13) in the regular 90 minutes, making a goalkeeper duel as a side-story. 16-year-old Wyatt Nelson won that battle with six saves on the evening.
After the game, North Texas SC Head Coach Pa-Modou Kah spoke highly of his players, "The most important thing I saw today from my players was their mentality to not give up. The intensity we played with today was fantastic. If you look at the 90 minutes, we were very well. We ended up winning in penalties, but we had a good shot of winning in regulation." Following the victory over Tacoma Defiance, the likelihood that North Texas SC moves to number one in the MLS NEXT Pro Top 5 Rankings is very high.
The Story: Alfonso Ocampo-Chávez’s roll keeps Defiance unbeaten
It is never too early to think about who MLS Next Pro’s first golden boot winner will be, and Ocampo-Chávez is emerging as the league’s first fire-breather. The striker’s latest performance sets his early-season tally at three, placing him at the top of the league’s scoring ranks. With his supporting cast already finding the target man, Ocampo-Chávez is on pace to accomplish a personal best and possibly more in 2022.
The late equalizer spoiled what would have been a two-game winning streak for the Defiance, but any soccer fan knows how important it is to see a star emerge in the attack early on.
The 20-year-old California native did not feature in the shootout, so we will have to wait to see his skills from the spot. What remains to be seen is how he and the Defiance do on their first road trip when they put their unbeaten streak on the line when they visit St Louis CITY2 next week.
