FRESNO, Calif. – Conceding two goals early in the first half, T2 were unable to overcome the deficit, falling 2-1 on the road to Fresno FC at Chukchansi Park on Saturday night. Ryan Sierakowski tallied his third goal of the USL Championship campaign, while Foster Langsdorf recorded his third assist in 2019.
T2 against Fresno FC
Saturday’s match marked the fifth meeting all-time in USL Championship play between T2 and Fresno FC, dating back to July 8, 2018. In the first meeting between Portland and Fresno this season, the two clubs played to a 2-2 draw at Providence Park on June 16.
Key plays
Fresno took a 1-0 lead in the fifth minute when Ramón Del Campo angled his header from the edge of the six-yard box into the far corner of the net. Fresno doubled its lead to 2-0 in the 19th minute after Arun Basuljevic struck a hard shot from the right side of the 18-yard box into the top right corner of the net.
Beginning the second half on the front foot, T2 cut into Fresno’s lead when Max Ornstil played a long ball into the box to Langsdorf. After bringing the ball down, Langsdorf laid it off into the path of Sierakowski, who chipped the ball over Fresno FC goalkeeper C.J. Cochran to make it 2-1 in the 47th minute.
In the 78th minute, Eryk Williamson delivered a pass down the left wing to Nathan Smith, who took a touch near the end line. Smith then crossed the ball to second-half substitute Gio Calixtro but his header from the center of the box was placed over the crossbar.
In stoppage time, Cristian Ojeda’s corner-kick service found the head of Ornstil, whose looping header hit the side netting in the 91st minute.
Next game
Up next, T2 play host to LA Galaxy II at Providence Park on Sunday July 28. Beginning at 6 p.m. (Pacific), the match will be streamed live on ESPN+.
Postgame quote sheet
T2 head coach Cameron Knowles
On his thoughts from the match...
“We dug ourselves a bit of a hole in the first half. We’ve been talking about the details and how those moments are going to be really important for the second half of the season, but I think the effort in the second half from the guys was outstanding. We came out and dodged a bit of a bullet, but then to respond with a goal and give ourselves a chance to get back in the game was good from the guys. It’s just a shame that we had to come from behind.”
On what he saw from T2’s goal…
“We talked about some of the spaces we were going to get in and with the way the surface was playing there were going to be some opportunities to play a little bit more direct. Max [Ornstil] played a good ball and Foster [Langsdorf] did a really good job of holding it up with Ryan [Sierakowski] getting in and having a well-taken finish. From those guys, it was really well executed.”
On the upcoming match at home against LA Galaxy II…
“We’ve got to get back in the win column and there’s no better place to do it than at home. I think the desire from the group and willingness to work and to grind out a result is there. The guys have the quality to do it. We just need to be sharper from the first whistle to the last and I think we’ve got that performance in us. Once we can get it going again, we’re going to be a very dangerous team coming into the latter part of the season.”
T2 (7-6-7, 28pts) vs. Fresno FC (10-2-7, 37pts)
July 20, 2019 – Chukchansi Park (Fresno, Calif.)
Goals by Half 1 2 F
T2 0 1 1
Fresno FC 2 0 2
Scoring Summary:
FRS: Del Campo (Johnson), 6
FRS: Basuljevic (Chávez), 19
POR: Sierakowski (Langsdorf), 47
Misconduct Summary
FRS: Johnson (caution), 40
POR: Wharton (caution), 44
FSR: Lawal (caution), 44
FSR: Cooper (caution), 84
Lineups:
POR: GK Ivacic, D Hanson, D Ornstil, D Miller, D Smith (Diz Pe, 83), M Anguiano (Calixtro, 45), M Wharton ©, M Sierakowski, M Williamson, M Kobayashi (Ojeda, 61), F Langsdorf
Substitutes Not Used: GK Leeker, D Elliott, D Rapaport, M Scardina
TOTAL SHOTS: 3 (Three players tied, 1); SHOTS ON GOAL: 1 (Sierakowski, 1); FOULS: 8 (Wharton, 2); OFFSIDES: 3; CORNER KICKS: 3; SAVES: 2
FRS: GK Cochran, D Jackson, D Daly, D Del Campo, D Cooper, M Basuljevic, M Kurimoto, M Martin, M Johnson (Caffa, 65), F Chávez (Alihodzic, 80), F Lawal (Chaney, 65)
Substitutes Not Used: GK Howard, D Geffrard, M Casillas, Renato
TOTAL SHOTS: 13 (Basuljevic, 3); SHOTS ON GOAL: 4 (Four players tied, 1); FOULS: 19 (Cooper, 4); OFFSIDES: 9; CORNER KICKS: 5; SAVES: 0
Referee: Mark Allatin
Assistant Referees: Ryan Jung, Bhavik Dutt
4th Official: Robert Vincze
Attendance: 3,457
Weather: Clear, 88 degrees
All statistics contained in this box score are unofficial
