Portland Timbers 2 (10 wins, 8 draws, 12 losses) currently sit in 12th spot in the USL Western Conference table on 38 points. That’s 34 points behind Rising (22 wins, 6 draws, 3 losses), who have played one game more.
Portland is three points back from San Antonio in the final playoff spot, but does have a game in hand.
Home field advantage? Not for Timbers 2. The team’s record is the same at Providence Park as it is on the road. Portland has lost six times at home this season.
When it comes to scoring goals, T2 are just as likely to find the net in the first half as the second at Providence Park.
However, the team is by far weakest defensively in the second half. Two-thirds of Portland’s goals conceded at Providence Park came in the second half.
Portland’s first team has its final regular season match on Sunday. That is likely to prevent the involvement of the first team’s bench players in tonight’s USL game.
LAST MEETING
The two sides last met in Phoenix back in late June. Rising took all three points after two stoppage time goals gave the hosts a 4-2 lead.
Solomon Asante converted twice from the penalty spot in the 32nd and 97th minutes to score Rising’s first and fourth goals. Amadou Dia also recorded a brace, tying the scores in the 62nd and providing the go-ahead goal in the 94th.
Rising completely dominated possession, holding 60.6% of the ball. As a sign of the hosts’ dominance, Phoenix had 27 shots to Portland’s ten, and nine corners to the visitors’ one. Portland also recorded 26 clearances compared to Rising’s eight.
LAST TIME OUT
T2’s last match was a 2-1 home defeat against Austin Bold last Sunday.
Jake Leeker started in goal for Portland against Bold. Leeker was the side’s starting goalkeeper going into 2019, but hasn’t played with any regularity since late May. Nevertheless, he’s still played the most games of any of Timbers 2 goalkeepers (14). Leeker’s kept just one clean sheet, with a 66.2% save success rate – down from the six clean sheets he kept in 17 games with the Monarchs last year.
Harold Hanson was the right back for Portland last Sunday. This is the 20-year-old’s third season with Timbers 2. He’s known as a solid tackler, winning 70.7% of them this season, although that is down from his astonishing 88.9% success rate last year. Hanson is originally from Ontario, California. He scored against Austin for his only goal of the season – a 25th minute right-footed shot to the top right corner following a defense-splitting through ball by Eryk Williamson.
Nathan Smith was on the left against Bold. Like Hanson, he boasts several years USL experience, and he’s also a decent tackler (66% success). Smith is better at playing the ball than Hanson, though, with a 79.2% passing accuracy. He also leads Timbers 2 in yellow card accumulation (7). A former Los Dos defender, Smith scored his first professional goal back in June against Fresno.
Center-back Max Ornstil started against Austin. Ornstil will be a familiar face to Rising’s head coach, as he previously spent two seasons with FC Tucson. Ornstil’s weakness comes in the air. He’s won less than half (43.9%) of aerial duels this season. Don’t expect too much from him up front, either, as he hasn’t scored since 2017.
Adrian Diz Pe lined up alongside Ornstil last week. The Cuban makes up for Ornstil’s weakness in the air by winning 80.6% of aerial duels. He’s a safety-first center-back. Don’t expect to see much flair from him. He leads the team in clearances (89), and not without good reason: his passing accuracy is a lowly 68.4%. Diz Pe had been capped by Cuba prior to his defection.
Carlos Anguiano played as a defensive midfielder against Bold. He’s one of Portland’s most accurate passers (88.9%), and has claimed four assists to date. Anguiano also wins his fair share of refereeing decisions, winning four times as many free kicks as he concedes. Born just an hour away in Salem, Anguiano made his T2 debut in 2017.
Anguiano was replaced against Austin by Giovanni Calixtro. Calixtro has made 22 appearances this year, with just under half of those coming off the bench. That’s the most he’s made in his professional career, and the 19-year-old local hasn’t disappointed with a return of four goals and two assists.
Todd Wharton also featured in the midfield last Sunday. He’s the only player to have taken part in every Timbers 2 match this season, and has captained the team since June. A good reader of the ball, Wharton leads the team in interceptions (56) and is second in chances created (34), but is yet to record an assist. This is his first season with T2, although he previously featured for the Timbers U-23 side. Wharton spent the last three years with RGV.
Eryk Williamson lined up as an attacking midfielder for Portland against Austin. It’s not clear if Williamson will face Rising tonight, as he’s appeared for the first team on several occasions in September. If he is with T2, expect him to be one of the more dangerous players on the field, as he leads his side in both chances created (38) and assists (8).
In-form Ryan Sierakowski started on the wing last week. He has seven goals this season, including five in his last 11 matches. However, Sierakowski is not the most adept at crossing, with just two successful attempts in 28 appearances. He signed his first professional contract with T2 back in March, having previously played at Michigan State.
Brayan Hurtado started the Austin game on the opposite flank. He has six goals this season, including one in T2’s June loss to Rising. Hurtado is currently on loan with T2 from Mineros in his native Venezuela, and has been capped ten times at U-20 level.
Cristian Ojeda replaced Hurtado last week. Ojeda is also on loan with T2, from Talleres (Argentina). He has scored three goals this season, including T2’s other goal when the team fell to Phoenix in June. Ojeda has taken the second-highest number of shots of any player on his team (33). He has previously played in the U-20 Copa Libertadores, when Argentina crashed out at the group stage on goal difference, and has been an unused sub for Argentina U-20.
Foster Langsdorf is Portland’s go-to option up top. In his 25 games this year, he’s scored seven goals and picked up six assists. While he’s most deadly with his right foot, Langsdorf can also score with his left and his head. This is Langsdorf’s second season with T2, and the two-time Pac-12 Player of the Year also made his MLS debut earlier this year.
Listen to Rising head coach Rick Schantz talk about how they prepare to face MLS second teams:
MAN IN THE MIDDLE
Luis Guardia is tonight’s referee. The Texan has officiated in USL for several years. His most prestigious appointment in the middle was the 2015 USL Eastern Conference semi-final between Louisville and Charleston. Guardia has previously taken charge of Rising/Arizona United three times, with the Phoenix-based team winning all three.
It’ll be a long weekend in the Rose City for Guardia, as he’s also set to serve as fourth official in the MLS clash between Portland and San Jose at Providence Park on Sunday.
From the Ashes Prediction: Rising get back to winning ways: 3-1
Post-match interviews will be available at @ojevans18.