TORONTO, Canada - Toronto FC II put an end to North Texas SC’s unbeaten start to the 2019 season after coming away with a 3-2 win at BMO Training Ground on Wednesday afternoon. TFC II started brightly and opened the scoring just 12 minutes into the match. Julian Dunn-Johnson chased down a loose ball following a corner kick and beat his defender to the endline before clipping a cross towards the six-yard box. North Texas goalkeeper Carlos Avilez got a hand to the attempted cross tipping it onto the crossbar and providing Patrick Bunk-Anderson with a tap in.
Toronto doulded its lead through Matthew Srbely following a North Texas turnover in its defensive third. Srbely’s goal came minutes after Ricardo Pepi’s bid for an equalizer pinged off the post. Pepi would get another chance to cut into the TFC II lead just before halftime. Ronaldo Damus clipped a ball over the Toronto back four and into the path of Pepi’s run. The center forward made no mistake, burying a shot in the top corner to add to his league-leading six goals this season. In a reversal of fortune, Toronto’s Jacob Shaffelburg hit a low stinging shot that bounced off the post and started a North Texas counter attack that led to an equalizer in the 56th minute. Following Shaffelburg’s miss, Callum Montgomery floated a ball forward to Arturo Rodriguez who drove at goal and forced TFC II goalkeeper Kevin Silva into a save. Damus pounced on the rebound and slotted it home to draw North Texas level. After a flurry of chances at either end, Terique Mohammed broke the 2-2 deadlock in the 77th minute, capping off a good move through midfield with a goal.
North Texas looked have to pulled themselves level for a second time in the waning moments of the match, but the equalizer was waved off as the referee whistled for the 13th offside call on the visitors in the match. Despite suffering its first loss of the season, North Texas remains at the top of the League One table with a game in hand on second-place Tormenta FC. After picking up two consecutive wins on home turf, Toronto is up to third place in the standings. Both clubs play again this Saturday.
