The Timbers U-16 and U-18 Academy sides returned to league play this weekend, facing Cascadia-rival Seattle Sounders FC’s U-16 and U-18 Academy teams on the road at Starfire Sports Complex.
The U-16s fell 1-0 to Seattle, losing in a tightly contested match, but the Timbers U-18s scored in the final minute of the match to defeat Sounders FC’s U-18 side 2-1. Alan McKinley opened the scoring for Portland’s U-18s, before Alan Cruz scored the game-winning header in the final minute of the match to give the Timbers a dramatic victory over Sounders FC.
My goal vs Sounders!#PTFC#RCTIDpic.twitter.com/8MBYvkN3m7
— Alan Ramirez (@XvRmzXv) January 22, 2017
Will Inaelien, leading goal scorer for the Timbers U-18 squad in 2017, has been called up to the U-18 U.S. Men’s National Team, as part of the head coach Omid Namazi’s 28-man training camp roster. The call up marks the U-18 USMNT’s initial training camp of 2017, featuring competitive matches at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla.