PORTLAND, Ore. – United Soccer Leagues unveiled the Team of the Week for Week 2 of the Premier Development League on Thursday and three Portland Timbers U-23s players were recognized for their performances in the team’s season opener on May 11.
Forward Mark Sherrod was selected to the Team of the Week after scoring a first-half brace in a 3-0 win over Fraser Valley Mariners FC at JELD-WEN Field. He becomes the first Timbers U-23s player to earn PDL honors this season.
Additionally, Timbers U-23s forward Emery Welshman and defender Reed Matte were named honorable mention for Week 2 with their season-opening performances.
Sherrod scored both of his goals in the first half to help the Timbers U-23s to a 3-0 lead at halftime. He opened the scoring in the 10th minute, connecting on the end of a cross from Matte. Sherrod then scored his second goal in the 40th minute, hammering home a header 10 yards out off a cross in by midfielder Cam Vickers.
Welshman, who completed his junior season at Oregon State University in 2011, scored in the 16th minute against Fraser Valley, notching his first goal of the season.
Sherrod, who plays collegiately at the University of Memphis, and Welshman are both in their first season with the Timbers U-23s. Matte, who currently attends the University of Alabama at Birmingham, is in his second season with the team.
PDL Team of the Week: Week 2
GK Robert Muller - Texas
DF Andrew Farrell - IMG Bradenton
DF Jonathan Campbell - Carolina
DF Kareem Morad - LA Missioneros
MF Iyassa Bekele - Nashville
MF Kyle Johnson - Kitsap
MF Don Smart - Fredericksburg
FW Alencar Junior - Worcester
FW Husref Jupic - Des Moines (Player of the Week)
FW Mark Sherrod - Portland
FW Stefan Dimitrov - Brooklyn
Honorable Mention – Austin: Tony Rocha, William Morse; Carolina: Karo Okiomah, Donnie Smith; CFC: Jesse Menzie; Des Moines: Lebogang Moloto; El Paso: Enrique Cervantes; IMG Bradenton: Marco Lobo, Patrick Toh; Kitsap: Stephen Mohn; Nashville: Andrew Chamberlain; New Jersey: Dritan Sela; Ocala: Carlos De Araujo; Orange County: Christian Ramirez; Palmetto: Luke Perry; Portland: Reed Matte, Emery Welshman; Reading: Greg Cochrane; Sounders U23: Doug Herrick; Southern West Virginia: Stephen Millage; Texas: Austin Brown, Oliver Ortiz; Tucson: Travis Sanchez; Victoria: Matt Mehrassa, Ashley Burbeary; VSI Tampa: John Koshko, Kenny Hogg; Westchester: Jake Keegan.
