North Texas SC midfielder Anthony Ramirez has been named the MLS NEXT Rising Star of Matchday 11 thanks to his stellar performance against LA Galaxy II.
In his fifth appearance for the club, Ramirez scored two sensational goals within a span of six minutes, leaving the opposition stunned and earning his team the three points.
After both teams failed to score in the first half, Ramirez broke the deadlock in the 50th minute. Jose Mulato provided the assist for goal after recovering a loose ball near the middle of the field and connecting with a streaking Ramirez. The FC Dallas Academy forward then unleashed a powerful strike to the opposite post for his first professional goal.
Minutes later, Ramirez would score his second of the night after receiving a pin-point cross from Tomas Pondeca to double his team's lead.
Ultimately, Ramirez’s brace gave North Texas SC their fifth win of the season on Sunday, with a final score of 2-0 against Los Angeles Galaxy II. The young midfielder's performance was recognized after the game as he earned the Man of the Match award.
“The win gives us confidence because we had a couple of draws and were getting a bit frustrated. But with this win, the confidence is back and, hopefully, we can keep on winning”, the young forward stated after game.
The 17-year-old's talented performances have already caught the eye of coaches internationally having had represented both the US and Mexico at the U-19 and U-18 youth levels respectively.
Ramirez had this to say after learning he had won the Rising Star honor: "It's something great. Just shows how much I've worked. I improved, and I want to keep improving, keep fighting and keep being a part of this team."
Having already accumulated over 200 minutes of playing time for North Texas SC, Ramirez will look to replicate his performance during Matchday 12 when his side takes on Timbers2 on the road on Saturday, June 10 at Providence Park. You can catch all the MLS NEXT Pro action on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
