PORTLAND, Ore. – The PTFC for Peace charity match raised over $500,000 and counting for UNICEF USA's efforts to assist children and families affected by the war in Ukraine as Team Yellow defeated Team Blue 4-3 at Providence Park Wednesday evening.
- DONATE: UNICEFUSA.org/PTFC
The game featured a brace Team Yellow's Nathan Fogaça along with goals for their side by Yimmi Chara and Selmir Miscic while Team Blue featured goals from Hannah Betfort, Jaroslaw Niezgoda and Timbers Academy player and Ukrainian national Vova Kubrakov.
Match Moments
7' - CHANCE (YELLOW) - Nathan Fogaça slipped a ball through to forward Morgan Weaver who darted in on goal with a shot but Team Blue goalkeeper Aljaz Ivacic made a sprawling save.
9' - GOAL (YELLOW) - Team Yellow went up 1-0 when Madison Pogarch put her cross on a platter for Fogaça to head into the goal.
13' - DIVE (YELLOW) - Bill Tuiloma, who went on a galloping 60 yard run, attempted a give and go with Christine Sinclair and went down in the box but referee Sergii Demianchuk was not impressed.
14' - CHANCE (BLUE) - Larrys Mabiala, with space in the box, received the ball but sent his shot wide of the left post.
21' - CHANCES (BLUE) - Hannah Betfort broke free of the defense and put a shot on goal but goalkeeper David Bingham made a point-blank save. The ball was not cleared out well and Marvin Loría took a shot from distance that Bingham scrambled back to save.
23' - GOAL (BLUE) - Team Blue equalized as a perfect cross from Johan Hinestroza found Betfort atop the six-yard box to smash into the top of the net.
26' - NUTMEG (BLUE) - Natalia Kuikka, deep into the 18-yard box, pulled off a great nutmeg on a Team Yellow defender...who will remain nameless.
30' - GOAL (YELLOW) - Team Yellow took a 2-1 lead as Yimmi Chara received a throughball and chipped the Team Yellow 'keeper.
30+1 - GOAL (YELLOW) - Fogaça scored his second goal of the game to make it 3-1 when Team Yellow rushed through following a Team Blue defensive breakdown.
30+1' - POSITIONAL FIELD CHANGE (BOTH TEAMS) - Looking to mix things up moments before the half, Team Yellow moved Kelli Hubly, a defender, up to forward with Betfort coming to the backline. Team Blue countered with Tuiloma moving into goal and Bingham coming out as centerback. Tuiloma was greeted by the North End crowd with chants of, "Dodgy 'keeper!"
35' - TACKLE (YELLOW) - In a rare physical moment, Team Yellow's Rocky Rodríguez stood her ground to tackle the ball away from a Team Blue player deep in the attacking third.
35' - SAVE (YELLOW) - Team Yellow goalkeeper Hunter Sulte made a good save on a blistering shot from Team Blue's Dairon Asprilla.
38' - CHANCE (YELLOW) - Olivia Moultrie tried her luck with a shot from outside the box that narrowly missed the top right corner.
40 - CHANCE (BLUE) - Gabby Provenzano slid a ball to her right for Yazmeen Ryan. Ryan cut inside and fired a hard shot that Sulte was forced to parry away.
42 - GOALKEEPER OUT (YELLOW) - Sulte raced upfield for a Yellow corner. The ball was dealt with well with by Team Blue who then raced out on the counter but before they could get a shot away, Claudio Bravo hurried back to steal the ball away and bail out Sulte.
43' - CHANCE (BLUE) - In end-to-end action, Emily Menges took off from the backline with the ball. She sprayed it out wide to Asprilla on the right who then rolled a cross to the back post for Jaroslaw NIezgoda but the Team Blue striker pushed his shot just wide. On the ensuing corner, Asprilla had a tap-in that he some how missed, followed by a good smile and laugh.
46' - SAVE (BLUE) - Ryan tested Sulte from distance with a rising shot that the Team Yellow 'keeper jumped high to barely tip over the bar.
47' - GOAL (BLUE) - Following up with a corner, Niezgoda capitalized on a loose ball in the six-yard box with a cheeky backheel to pull a goal back for Team Blue and make it 3-2.
50' - TWO BALLS (BOTH TEAMS) - In a moment of craziness, the match was attempted to be played with two soccer balls on the pitch at the same time. Team Yellow assistant coach Miles Joseph was shown a yellow card for the creative innovation.
55' - GOAL (TEAM YELLOW) - Selmir Miscic carried down the left channel and deftly chipped a ball into the back corner.
56' - EXTRA PLAYERS (BOTH TEAMS) - In another soccer innovation, Team Blue had gradually added their entire bench onto the field of play. Team Yellow countered by bringing in head coach Giovanni Savarese and their entire Team Yellow bench.
58' - GOAL (TEAM BLUE) - The strategy worked for Team Blue as Vova Kubrakov, a Timbers Academy player who came here with his family from Ukraine 10 years ago, scored by poking in a ball amidst the mass of humanity on the field.
60' - WAVED OFF GOAL (TEAM YELLOW) - In a controversial decision, Savarese appeared to have had an assist when he lofted a perfect ball into the box for Tuiloma to head into the back of the net. The Team Yellow head coach quickly then subbed himself out. However, referee Sergii Demianchuk motioned for VAR before ultimately ruling Tuiloma offside.
60' - FINAL WHISTLE - Team Yellow celebrated the win on the field while both teams came together for a group photo and walk around the field for a bevy of log slabs and roses in the North End.
PTFC For Peace
Team Blue vs. Team Yellow
April 27, 2022 – Providence Park (Portland, Ore.)
Scoring Summary:
YELLOW: Fogaça (Pogarch, Weaver), 9
BLUE: Betfort (Hinestroza), 23
YELLOW: Y. Chara (Fogaça), 30
YELLOW: Fogaça, 30+1
BLUE: Niezgoda, 47
YELLOW: Miscic, 55
BLUE: Kubrakov, 57
Misconduct Summary:
YELLOW: Y. Chara (caution), 20
Lineups:
First Half
BLUE: GK Ivacic (Vom Steeg, 17), D Bonilla, D Mabiala, D Hubly ©, D Kuikka, M Paredes, M Sugita, M Loría, M Everett, M McCartney (Hinestroza, 17), F Betfort
YELLOW: GK Bixby (Bingham, 17), D Klingenberg (Kubrakov, 17), D McGraw (J. Bravo, 25), D Tuiloma, D Pogarch, M Williamson, M Coffey, M Y. Chara, M Fogaça, F Weaver (Miscic, 15) F Sinclair ©
Second Half
BLUE: GK Smith, D Beckman, D Menges (Kubrakov, 46), D Zuparic, D J. Bravo, M Griffith, M Provenzano, M Ryan, M Asprilla, M Bodily, F Niezgoda
YELLOW: GK Sulte (Shelby, 46), D Van Rankin, D Vivas, D Miller, D C. Bravo, M Ayala, M Moultrie, M Beckie (Miscic, 46), M Rodriguez, F Moreno, F Ikoba
Attendance: 16,921
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