After two prior attempts, North Texas Soccer Club has finally vanquished the last club they had yet to defeat, Toronto FC II. In the first encounter between the two sides, back on May 29, Toronto rallied in the second half to break a 2-2 draw and secure a 3-2 win at home, while an early 3-0 lead by North Texas SC in the second encounter, on June 12, saw Toronto score three unanswered from the 44th minute on, securing a 3-3 draw.

North Texas SC entered the game on a bit of a hot streak, with two wins in their last three, complete with the 5-0 demolition of Tormenta FC on Tuesday night. Unsurprisingly, Eric Quill went with much of the same lineup again on Saturday, with Brecc Evans, Callum Montgomery, Bryan Reynolds, Johnny Nelson, Arturo Rodriguez, Jacori Hayes, and Arturo Rodriguez repeating as starters.

Jimmy Maurer got the nod in goal, to keep him match-fit with his last appearance in MLS dating back nearly a month, to August 6. Alfusainey Jatta returned to his primary spot as the single-pivot defensive midfielder, with David Rodriguez and Ronaldo Damus both returning to the starting lineup after a short break.

Toronto II, meanwhile, entered in 8th place, winless in six, and desperately needing a win to keep their playoff hopes alive. With their recent struggles, combined with nearly three weeks since their last win, along with serious summer fixture congestion in July, head coach Michael Rabasca has been frequently rotating players in and out of the roster. Add in call-ups/send-downs to and from MLS, and Toronto's roster has lacked meaningful consistency as of late.

From kickoff, NTXSC was on full attack, with several close-calls and near-misses in the opening ten minutes, while Toronto responded in hockey-like fashion, checking their way into counter-attacking situations, occasionally forcing minor heroics from Maurer. The first half ended scoreless, not for lack of trying, but for a fantastic effort on the part of TFCII goalkeeper Eric Klenofsky, facing 7 shots with 3 on target in the opening period. Both teams styles seemed to suit their opponents, with North Texas using Quill's spin on LuchiBall, maintaining possession at all costs, while Toronto lined up in a low block aiming to strike on the counter.

The deadlock remained steadfast until, in the 72nd minute, a pair of fouls in the box by two different Toronto defenders led to a penalty kick awarded to NTX. Arturo Rodriguez stepped up to take the kick and buried it for his fifth goal of the season.

NTX doubled the lead in the 83rd minute with an incredible team goal, with nearly half the squad involved in the build-up culminating in Ronaldo Damus's 11th goal in 17 games this season, extending his lead in the Golden Boot race.

Toronto managed to rack up 5 yellow cards, including two to substitutes as part of their bunker-check-counter strategy, conceding possession to North Texas who led 65.8% to 34.2%, but catching North Texas offside on 7 occasions.

North Texas SC now maintains its position atop the League One standings through the week, with 5 points and a game in hand over Lansing, while Toronto II is now mathematically eliminated from the top spot. Lansing sits as the clear second-place favorite, with Greenville edging out a 3-way tie for the final playoff position between Madison, Tormenta, and Chattanooga.

North Texas SC returns to action on Friday, September 6, on the road against the one team already out of playoff contention, Orlando City B, who sit dead last with just 3 wins in 23 games. NTXSC returns home on Tuesday, September 10, to host Richmond in their final home game before the League One playoffs begin.