North Texas SC forward Jaidyn Contreras has been named the winner of the MLS NEXT Pro Goal of Matchweek 28 for his outside-the-box finish against MNUFC2 this past weekend.
Contreras’ strike came in the 60th minute of North Texas SC’s match against MNUFC2, with the score level at 1-1. The U.S. youth international finished a short-corner pass from Alejandro Urzua to give his team a 2-1 road win and three important points.
Other nominees for the award included Marcos Dias (New England Revolution II), Jesús Barea (Real Monarchs), and Stas Korzeniowski (Philadelphia Union II).
The 17-year-old has now scored his two first profesional goals in back-to-back matches, and has emerged as a key contributor for North Texas SC in their quest to defend their crown.
North Texas SC head coach John Gall praised Contreras’ development after the win:
“...you have Jaidyn (Contreras), who’s been biding his time, working hard in training, staying patient and dealing with me quite a bit this season.
These types of moments are key because I think Jaidyn has grown a lot in the last six months, and for him to get that reward, in a situation we knew he was good at, is special.”
Gall also highlighted the collective effort of his side in the victory: “I’m proud of the group, happy for Caleb, happy for Jaidyn, but most importantly happy for the club as we keep ourselves fighting and push into a really good spot.”
North Texas SC will look to continue to cement their spot in the postseason when they host Real Monarchs on Saturday, September 27.
You can catch all the MLS NEXT Pro action on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
