Midfielder Beau Leroux (right) scored The Town FC’s first goal, his fifth tally of the season. TTFC secured two goals against Houston Dynamo 2 to advance in the playoff bracket.
MORAGA, Calif. — No. 3-seeded The Town FC advanced to the Western Conference Semifinals on Sunday thanks to a thrilling 2-1 victory against No. 8-seeded Houston Dynamo 2 in the Conference Quarterfinals stage of the playoffs at Saint Mary’s Stadium.
The Town (13-7-8, 51 points) chose to face Houston (10-11-7, 39 points) as a result of MLS NEXT Pro’s “Pick Your Opponent” format. The two sides faced once in the regular season on May 3, when Dynamo 2 narrowly won in a shootout.
TTFC took the lead in the 29th minute as midfielder Beau Leroux notched his fifth goal of the season.
Leroux’s goal followed a series of unsuccessful Town FC chances that exerted the team’s ability to apply early pressure. Midfielder Will Richmond got the ball rolling with multiple attacks.
“I’ve had a lot of close moments, so getting on the board again feels great,” Leroux said. “I’m trusting the process.”
Leroux scored off a back-heel pass from midfielder Cruz Medina and nailed the top-left corner of the net. Looking to head into halftime with the lead, The Town FC was forced to defend multiple dangerous Dynamo 2 sequences toward the end of the frame. In the 41st minute, Houston broke through TTFC’s back line, and forward Mattheo Dimareli tapped in a rebound for the equalizer.
Houston nearly scored again at the end of the half but Town FC goalkeeper Emmanuel Ochoa came up big when it mattered. The 19-year-old ended with four saves in the match.
TTFC head coach Daniel DeGeer didn’t make a substitution until the second half, but his team’s depth ultimately catalyzed the victory. Substitute midfielder Joel Garcia — a player who has proven his solid bench support all season — delivered The Town FC its game-winner in the 82nd minute.
Off an accurate feed from midfielder Edwyn Mendoza, Garcia separated himself from all nearby Houston defenders and fired a powerful shot to the left side of the net for the score.
“I tried to kick it as hard as I could,” Garcia said. “I’m really proud of that moment.”
Garcia’s tally was his first in nearly seven months and sent the ruckus home crowd into a frenzy. Dynamo 2’s last-gasp attacks were promptly shut down and The Town FC celebrated in front of its faithful.
With a Western Conference Semifinals bid in hand, The Town FC will aim to continue advancing through the grueling playoff bracket. The team will have intel on its next opponent once the “Pick Your Opponent” process begins.
The West’s other remaining teams are No. 1 North Texas SC (16-4-8, 62 points), No. 2 St. Louis CITY2 (17-7-4, 56 points) and No. 4 Tacoma Defiance (13-10-5, 46 points). There were no upsets in the conference’s first round. The Town defeated St. Louis in the 2023 playoffs under the Earthquakes II identity.
“We have a really deep squad, so we have a lot of confidence,” Garcia said. “We’re excited to play.”
With one win down, The Town stands three stages away from hoisting the MLS NEXT Pro Cup. The squad will certainly aim to take each game one at a time as the landscape becomes even more competitive.
The 2024 MLS NEXT Pro playoff bracket can be found here.
Follow Kasey Kazliner (@kaseyjkaz) on X for more TTFC updates.
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MATCH INFORMATION
2024 MLS NEXT Pro Season
The Town FC 2 – 1 Houston Dynamo 2
Saint Mary’s Stadium
Sunday, October 20, 2024
Scoring Summary:
TTFC (1-0) — B. Leroux 29’
HOU (1-1) — M. Dimareli 41’
TTFC (2-1) — J. Garcia 82’
Misconduct Summary:
TTFC — C. Walls (Caution) 9’
TTFC — W. Richmond (Caution) 32’
HOU — I. Mwakutuya (Caution) 45 + 6’
HOU — E. Arzu (Caution) 56’
TTFC — C. Medina (Caution) 58’
TTFC — E. Blancas (Caution) 63’
HOU — S. Rodriguez (Caution) 70’
HOU — E. Arzu (Caution) 74’
The Town FC: E. Ochoa (GK), R. Ibarra, C. Walls, A. Cano (S. Bilter – 89’), W. Eisner (J. Garcia – 71’), C. Medina (C), E. Mendoza (R. Rajagopal – 84’), B. Leroux, J. Ricketts (R. Lynch – 71’), E. Blancas, W. Richmond (J. Donnery – 89’)
Substitutes not used: A. Edwards, J. Spivey, D. Sweeney, W. Ostraner
SHOTS: 13; SHOTS ON GOAL: 4; FOULS: 20; CORNER KICKS: 3; SAVES: 4
Houston Dynamo 2: X. Valdez (GK), K. Sargeant, O. Awodesu, I. Mwakutuya (D. Barrett – 63’), J. Medina, S. Rodriguez (J. Bell – 83’), D. Gonzalez, J. Valverde (J. Souza – 83’), A. Batioja (O. Sylla – 46’), G. Segal, M. Dimareli (E. Arzu – 46’)
Substitutes not used: I. Udanoh, S. Annor, N. Defreitas-Hansen, J. Burbano
SHOTS: 10; SHOTS ON GOAL: 5; FOULS: 21; CORNER KICKS: 3; SAVES: 2