Timbers 2 (7 wins, 6 draws, 3 defeats) visit the Valley tonight in second place on 27 points. That’s five points and one place behind Rising in first (9 wins, 5 draws, 2 defeats).
Building on their first ever USL postseason appearance in 2018, Timbers 2 have lost only once on the road this year – a 3-2 defeat away to Los Dos on March 30.
Currently ranked first in away goals scored (20), T2’s four road trip wins in eight games were recorded in San Antonio, OKC, Tacoma, and Orange County. They’ve drawn away to Tulsa, New Mexico, and Austin Bold.
Adopting a 4-2-3-1 formation in six of their eight away games, T2 have scored 15 of their 20 away goals in the second half, including seven goals in the last 15 minutes.
However, nine of the 13 away goals conceded have been scored in the first half.
As an MLS reserve team, the movement of players to and from the parent club is very fluid. For example, at least six Timbers players on MLS duty against Montreal Impact on Thursday have starred for T2 this season. These include T2’s top scorer Dairon Asprilla, four-goal forward Foster Langsdorf, key defender Modou Jadama, and T2’s most creative player this season, Eryk Williamson.
Deprived of such valuable resources, it’s no wonder T2 ended a six-game unbeaten run by losing 2-1 at home to Reno on Wednesday.
Regardless, T2 will be keen to close the gap on Rising tonight, and were the last team to win a league match in Phoenix (a 1-0 win in mid-October).
LAST TIME OUT
Jake Leeker was in goals for T2 in midweek – his eleventh appearance of the season. Leeker joined T2 in January after one professional season at Real Monarchs (18 appearances, 6 clean sheets). The 6-foot-5 Missouri native has managed one clean sheet and conceded 18 goals, with a 66.7% save success rate, in 2019. Rising’s forwards need to stay alert tonight, as Leeker can sometimes drop the ball.
Leeker’s first line of defense against Reno was Smith, Miller, Diz Pe, and Ornstil.
Nathan Smith started against Reno as left-back. A graduate of Galaxy’s Academy, Smith played 12 MLS games for them in 2017 This is his second season at Providence Park. In 2018, Smith featured in 19 regular season matches, helping T2 qualify for the playoffs. This season he’s appeared in 12 games, including eight as a starter. Capped at U-17 and U-20 level by the USMNT, Smith scored the winner in the 2011 U-17 CONCACAF Championship Final against Canada. Earlier this month, he registered his first T2 goal against Fresno – a stoppage time right footed shot inside the box to salvage a point.
The veteran Costa Rican Roy Miller started as a center back. He joined T2 in March after being released by Timbers. Miller’s former clubs include S. Cartaginés (Costa Rica), FK Bodø/Glimt and Rosenborg BK (Norway), New York Red Bulls, and Deportivo Saprissa (Costa Rica). Capped 59 times by Costa Rica, Miller played 7 games on loan at T2 last season, and has already surpassed that figure in 2019 (8 games, 7 as a starter).
Adrián Diz Pe partnered Miller in central defense on Tuesday. Phenomenal in the air (88% aerial duel success) and a decent tackler (77.8% success rate), Jahn can look forward to a formidable battle tonight. This is Diz Pe’s second season at Providence Park. His former clubs include Las Tunas and Ciudad de la Habana in Cuba, and Santos Laguna in Mexico. Diz Pe played in the 2012 Olympics, has a 2012 Caribbean Cup Final winner’s medal, and earned 13 full caps for Cuba before defecting in 2016. He has featured in seven T2 games in 2019.
The right back against Reno was Max Ornstil – his fourth start and ninth appearance in 2019. Strong in the tackle (85.7% tackle success rate), he was promoted from the Timbers U-23 squad in 2016. Ornstil is no stranger to Arizona, having previously played for FC Tucson in 2013 and 2014.
Anguiano and Wharton played directly in front of the T2 defense against Reno.
Carlos ‘Junio’ Anguiano is a first year professional, promoted from the Timbers Academy. An accomplished passer of the ball (88.6% success rate), Anguiano has featured in seven T2 games in 2019, supplementing his 13 appearances as an Academy player in 2017 and 2018.
Todd Wharton joined T2 from RGV in the close season, after three seasons for the Toros. He’s clocked up the most minutes for T2 this season: 1,308 (16 games, 15 as a starter). In 2016, Wharton was surprisingly overlooked in the SuperDraft despite signing an MLS contract. Comfortable as a central or defensive midfielder, he has an 86.4% pass success rate this season. He’s also scored three goals for T2 – one with his left foot, two with his right, with all three coming inside the box. Wharton‘s first T2 goal came in a 3-1 win at San Antonio in March. He also bagged a penalty against Fresno and an equalizer away to Austin Bold earlier this month. Wharton is no stranger to Portland, having previously played for the U-23s in 2015.
Loanees Sierakowksi, Ojeda, and Hurtado played in a more advanced role against Reno.
A first round (number 23) Timbers MLS draft pick in 2019, Ryan Sierakowski has scored two goals in 14 loan appearances. Both of Sierakowski’s goals have been scored on the road – a stoppage time winner at OKC in early April, and the second in a 3-3 draw at New Mexico in late April. A creative force at Michigan State (33 goals and 16 assists in 82 starts), Timbers have high hopes for the Illinois left midfielder/forward.
Cristian Ojeda joined on loan from Club Atlético Talleres (Argentina). The Reno game was his sixth start and 12th appearance of the season for T2. Ojeda featured in two U-20 Argentina friendlies against Spain and Italy last year.
20-year-old Brayan Hurtado, like Sierakowski, has also featured in 14 T2 games this season. Currently on loan from Mineros de Guayana (Venezuela), where he scored 17 goals in 70 league and cup games, Hurtado has already scored four goals for T2. All of Hurtado’s goals have been scored inside the box with his left foot, including the opener against Reno on Tuesday.
19-year-old Gio Calixtro led the line against Reno. An Oregon native in his third season at T2, this is Calixtro’s third season at Providence Park He’s already bagged two goals in 10 games in 2019. Both goals were scored with his right foot inside the box in a 3-2 away defeat to Galaxy in March. That’s T2’s only road reverse to date.
Two players came on from the bench last Wednesday.
21-year-old Zach Kobayashi replaced Calixtro in the 63rd minute. Signed from Orange County in 2018, the former Dinamo Zagreb (Croatia) Academy player prefers a midfield role, and has scored once in four appearances in 2019. That was a right-footed shot from outside the box in a 3-2 win at OKC in April.
Academy midfielder Nick Scardina also enjoyed his first three minutes of action for T2, replacing Ornstil in the 87th minute.
REST OF THE ROSTER
Charlie Lyon was the unused goalkeeper on the bench on Wednesday. Selected 75th overall in the 2015 MLS SuperDraft by Seattle Sounders, the former Orange County keeper played for LAFC last season, and has also appeared on the Philadelphia Union bench this season. T2’s other keepers this season have been Kendall McIntosh (3 appearances, 4 goals conceded) and Aljaz Ivacic (2 appearances, 2 goals conceded).
Two other non-playing substitutes on Wednesday were defenders Elliot and Rapaport. Both currently play for Timbers age-level squads. Newcastle-born Max Elliot has had several unused substitute call-ups. Emory Rapaport is an Oregon native still awaiting his T2 debut.
Four key players that could be in contention tonight, but are unlikely to do so having played for the first team on Thursday are Williamson, Asprilla, Langsdorf, and Jadama.
22-year-old attacking midfielder Eryk Williamson has the second highest number of USL Championship assists (seven) and has also created 23 chances in ten starts. He is a cousin of Queen Latifah.
T2’s top scorer Dairon Asprilla has baged six goals in six games in 2019. He also scored two goals in six games for T2 last season. The Colombian right-sided forward/winger has played over 100 MLS games for Timbers, including five starts in 2019.
Foster Langsdorf was signed by Timbers as a homegrown player in 2018, and has made two MLS and one Open Cup appearance to date. Langsdorf has scored four goals in 12 games for T2 this season. That’s a 25% conversion rate. All four goals have been scored inside the box – three with his right, and one with his head.
Gambian defender Modou Jadama has also scored four goals in 14 appearances for T2 this season. He started his career in 2015-16 in Chile, and spent the 2017 season at Tulsa. Thursday’s 2-1 parent club defeat in Montreal was Jadama’s first MLS start. Jadama is another quality passer on the T2 roster (81.5% success rate).
From the Ashes Prediction: Timbers 2 are a good side, but Rising are meeting them when they’re weakened by first team selection needs. On that basis, Rising will extend the winning run.