SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Playing their second match in four days, T2 fell 4-2 on the road to Phoenix Rising FC at Casino Arizona Field on Saturday night. Brayan Hurtado scored his fifth goal of the USL Championship campaign, while Cristian Ojeda tallied his first goal for T2.
Goal-scoring form
With his goal, Hurtado has scored in three consecutive appearances, dating back to a 2-0 win at Orange County SC on June 22. Hurtado is the first player to score in three consecutive matches for T2 since Dairon Asprilla did it from May 12-29, 2019. Additionally, the 20-year-old forward ranks second on the team behind Asprilla in goals scored (5) for T2.
Key plays
In the 14th minute, Foster Langsdorf was first to a cleared ball on the edge of the 18-yard box, but his left-footed shot was fired over the crossbar.
Phoenix took a 1-0 lead in the 32nd minute after Soloman Asante struck his penalty kick just past the outstretched arms of T2 goalkeeper Aljaz Ivacic to his left.
Portland tied the match at 1-1 in the 37th minute after Ojeda’s initial shot from just inside the penalty area was blocked by a Phoenix defender, but he was first to the rebound and placed his follow-up shot into the lower right-hand corner of the net.
Just before halftime, Harold Hanson broke into the right edge of the 18-yard box and fired an off-balance shot that missed the target in the 42nd minute.
T2 took a 2-1 lead in the 49th minute after Langsdorf fired a shot from inside the 18-yard box that was blocked by a Phoenix defender. On the ensuing rebound, Hurtado picked up the ball on the left side of the penalty area and placed his left-footed shot past Phoenix goalkeeper Zac Lubin at the near post.
Phoenix leveled the match in the 62nd minute when Amadou Dia drove down the left wing and fired a shot from the left edge of the penalty area past Ivacic at the near post to make it 2-2.
In the 71st minute, Ojeda’s left-footed, curling shot from the top of the box was fired over the crossbar. Continuing on the attack, second-half substitute Marco Farfan drove down the left flank and cut the ball back to Ojeda inside the area, but his curling shot missed inches to the left of the far post in the 79th minute.
T2 nearly scored in the 88th minute when Langsdorf received a pass from Farfan from the left edge of the box, but his shot from inside the six-yard box was cleared off the line by a Phoenix defender.
Phoenix took the lead in the 94th minute when Dia connected off of Asante’s cross from the right wing and placed his header just inside the left post. Rising FC doubled their lead to 4-2 in the 97th minute after Asante converted his second penalty kick of the game.
Next game
Up next, T2 return home to play host to Tulsa Roughnecks FC at Providence Park on Saturday, July 6. Beginning at 7:30 p.m. (Pacific), the match will be streamed live on ESPN+.
Postgame Quote Sheet
T2 Head Coach Cameron Knowles
On the team’s performance at the start of the second half, despite the result...
"I thought they did a really good job. If think if you look at the hydration break in the first half and how we responded after that, to come back in and be level at halftime and then in the second half to score early and go ahead – the guys put out a lot of effort into that game. It was always going to be difficult playing the third game in a week in very difficult conditions with the heat, but I think we were really unlucky not to get something out of that match. I think with the way the guys played and the effort that they put it in, I think they deserved a little more out of that game."
On Brayan Hurtado’s form after scoring in three consecutive appearances...
"He’s been good. He’s very honest and very hard working. He stayed engaged in that play and was there when the ball fell and took his chance very calmly. The composure he has shown in those moments has been very good."
On the upcoming match at home against Tulsa Roughnecks FC...
"The guys are hungry to show what they’re capable of, with the way that they can play together and the results that they can get. I think when we look at this in the context of it now being the halfway point of the season, then they’ve performed really, really well. We just need to recover and hit the reset button and attack the second half of the season with the same vigor that we’ve done in the first half."
T2 (7-4-6, 27pts) vs. Phoenix Rising FC (10-2-5, 35pts)
June 29, 2019 – Casino Arizona Field (Scottsdale, Ariz.)
Goals by Half 1 2 F
T2 1 1 2
Phoenix Rising FC 1 3 4
Scoring Summary:
PHX: Asante (penalty kick), 32
POR: Ojeda, 37
POR: Hurtado, 49
PHX: Dia (Cochran), 62
PHX: Dia (Asante), 90+4
PHX: Asante (penalty kick), 90+7
Misconduct Summary
POR: Smith (caution), 32
POR: Hanson (caution), 52
Lineups:
POR: GK Ivacic, D Hanson (Farfan, 56), D Ornstil, D Miller (Diz Pe, 83), D Smith, M Anguiano, M Wharton ©, M Hurtado (Sierakowski, 69), M Ojeda, F Langsdorf, F Calixtro
Substitutes Not Used: GK McIntosh, D Elliot, D Rapaport, M Kobayashi
TOTAL SHOTS: 10 (Ojeda, 4); SHOTS ON GOAL: 2 (Two players tied, 2); FOULS:10 (Three players tied, 2); OFFSIDES: 1; CORNER KICKS: 1; SAVES: 7
PHX: GK Lubin, D Dumbuya, D Mala, D Cochran, D Dia, M Bakero (Fernandez, 89), M Musa, M Aguinaga (Wheeler-Omiunu, 89), F Asante ©, F Jahn, F Calistri (Calistri, 81)
Substitutes Not Used: GK Woszczynski, D Bjornethun, D Ledbetter, D Howell
TOTAL SHOTS: 27 (Asante, 7); SHOTS ON GOAL: 11 (Asante, 5); FOULS:6 (Musa, 2); OFFSIDES: 1; CORNER KICKS: 9; SAVES: 0
Referee: Matthew Thompson
Assistant Referees: John Krill, Karsten Gillwald
4th Official: Isaiah Vlad
Attendance: 6,372
Weather: Clear, 104 degrees
All statistics contained in this box score are unofficial
