North Texas SC Secures Shootout Win Against Sporting KC II

Late equalizer forces overtime, but North Texas prevails in penalty kicks

Apr. 11, 2026 at 3:53am by

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting a North Texas SC soccer match, with overlapping planes of green, navy, and gold representing the dynamic action on the field.North Texas SC's shootout victory over Sporting KC II highlights the team's resilience and ability to grind out results against conference rivals.Portland Today

In a back-and-forth match at Choctaw Stadium, North Texas SC and Sporting KC II played to a 2-2 draw after 90 minutes, with the home team ultimately prevailing in a penalty shootout. North Texas took an early lead through a goal from Natty James, but Sporting KC II equalized before halftime. The teams traded goals late in the second half, setting up the dramatic finish.

Why it matters

The win keeps North Texas SC in the hunt for a playoff spot in the MLS Next Pro Western Conference, as they now sit in 5th place with 9 points on the season. The result also highlights the competitive nature of the league, with North Texas and Sporting KC II battling it out in a tight match that came down to the wire.

The details

North Texas SC continued with their 3-4-3 formation, making a few changes to the starting lineup from their previous match. Midfielder Marlon Luccin made his first start for the team, while Jonah Biggar and Jaidyn Contreras returned to the starting XI. In goal, Eryk Dymora made his 5th start of the season. Sporting KC II rolled out the same 4-3-3 lineup they used in the previous meeting, with Jacob Molinaro in goal and Pierre Lurot captaining the backline. North Texas struck first in the 3rd minute, with Natty James finishing off a nice passing sequence. Sporting KC II equalized just before halftime through a goal from Missael Rodriguez. The second half saw more drama, as Edu Nys had a penalty kick saved by Molinaro, but James scored again soon after to put North Texas back in front. However, Tega Ikoba scored a late equalizer for Sporting KC II to make it 2-2 and force a shootout, which North Texas ultimately won.

  • In the 3rd minute, Natty James scored the opening goal for North Texas SC.
  • In the 40th minute, Missael Rodriguez scored the equalizer for Sporting KC II before halftime.
  • In the 75th minute, Edu Nys had a penalty kick saved by Jacob Molinaro.
  • In the 77th minute, Natty James scored his second goal of the night to put North Texas SC back in front.
  • In the 91st minute, Tega Ikoba scored the late equalizer for Sporting KC II to make it 2-2 and force a shootout.

The players

Natty James

A midfielder for North Texas SC who scored two goals in the match, including the game-winner.

Eryk Dymora

The goalkeeper for North Texas SC who made his 5th start of the season.

Jacob Molinaro

The goalkeeper for Sporting KC II who made 7 starts this season and saved a penalty kick in the match.

Pierre Lurot

The captain of the Sporting KC II backline, making his 7th start of the 2026 season.

Tega Ikoba

A Sporting KC II substitute who scored the late equalizing goal to force the shootout.

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What they’re saying

“When you allow teams to stay close in this game of football, bad things usually happen. So that was the case. Obviously, they had two shots on goal and scored two goals tonight. And unfortunately, we didn't do the things we needed to do in the last third of the field to put the game away.”

— John Gall, Head Coach, North Texas SC

“Last week was a real breakout week for him. It was great to see him with a lot of confidence. And today, he showed quality in the first goal and then the ingenuity with the second goal. We knew what we were getting when Natty came to us, when we had the opportunity to bring him in. We know he's a quality player.”

— John Gall, Head Coach, North Texas SC

What’s next

North Texas SC will travel to Providence Park to take on Portland Timbers2 on Sunday, April 19th at 3:00 pm CT. The Timbers2 are currently 1-1-2 on the season, with 1 shootout win.

The takeaway

This hard-fought match between North Texas SC and Sporting KC II showcases the competitive nature of the MLS Next Pro league, with both teams battling until the final whistle. North Texas' ability to secure the win in the penalty shootout after a late equalizer demonstrates their resilience and determination to stay in the playoff hunt.