SPOKANE, WA – Texoma FC (4-4-5, 16 Points) earned a point tonight in Washington in a 1-1 encounter with Spokane Velocity (8-5-1, 25 Points) .
Match Recap
- Yellow Card 28’ – Maciej Bortniczuk (TXO)
- Yellow Card 44’ – Ozzie Ramos (TXO)
- Goal 45+2’ – Nil Cierco (SPK)
- Substitution 61’ – Diego Pepi– ON; Brandon McManus – OFF (TXO)
- Goal 64’ – Maciej Bortniczuk; Asst. Teddy Baker (TXO)
- Yellow Card 68’ – Javier Garcia (TXO)
- Substitution 74’ – Redi Valentine– ON; Preston Kilwien – OFF (TXO)
- Substitution 75’ – Shavon John-Brown & Pierre Reedy– ON; Ismaila Jome & James Akale – OFF (SPK)
- Substitution 83’ – Luis Gil, Neco Brett, & Collin Fernandez– ON; Anuar Peláez, Jack Denton, & Nil Cierco – OFF (SPK)
- Yellow Card 90’ – Diego Pepi (TXO)
- Yellow Card 90+1’ – Andre Lewis (SPK)
- Yellow Card 90+6’ – Ajmeer Spengler (TXO)
- Yellow Card 90+6’ – Derek Waldeck (SPK)
Streaks Defended
Texoma FC’s unbeaten run in USL League One action extends to 7 games as Los Pájaros pick up a point against league leaders Spokane Velocity. The game was relatively tame for the first half besides two yellow cards being given to Texoma FC players Maciej Bortniczuk and Ozzie Ramos. As the first half was coming to a close, a Texoma corner that was quickly cleared away saw the home side move on the counter attack. It was Nils Cierco who would find the go ahead goal, giving the home side the advantage going into the second half.
The second half of the game saw much of the same from both sides, with Texoma FC focusing on the counter attack when the opportunity presented itself. Present itself it did as Teddy Baker whipped in a cross that saw Polish forward Maciej Bortniczuk score his first goal for Los Pájaros, drawing the game level. The back and forth encounter would fail to result in more goals as the game ended 1-1 with both sides preserving their undefeated streaks.
A Week of Firsts
This week saw a lot of firsts in the Texoma FC squad. Players Diego Pepi, Lamin Jawneh, and now Maciej Bortniczuk have all found the back of the net for the first time since joining Los Pájaros. For Bortniczuk, it is a goal that has been coming for a long time. Since joining the side after visa issues delayed his arrival, the Pole hit the ground running, providing that extra spark going forward that Texoma needed at the time. Despite his hunger and various shots on goal throughout the season, he was yet to score, only providing 2 assists in his short time in the squad. Tonight, however, the forward got his long awaited goal that helped Los Pájaros earn a point against the league leaders. He is now the 10th different goalscorer for the team in all competitions.
From Youth Academy to the Touchline
Due to suspension, Assistant Coach Ben Clarvis took the reins of the Texoma FC first team against Spokane. A long established mission for Texoma FC since its inception was the creation of a pathway from Youth to Pro and Coach Clarvis being on the touchline tonight is a testament to that mission. Coach Clarvis joined the club in June of 2024 as the Director of the Texoma FC Youth Academy, overseeing all academy activities, operations, and teams. In December, it was announced that he would also be joining the first team coaching staff as Assistant Coach. The connection between the pro and youth is now closer than ever as Texoma FC continues to build an identity and style of play to pass down to all youth teams.
Looking Forward
