PORTLAND, Ore. – Receiving goals from three different players, T2 defeated New Mexico United 3-2 at Providence Park on Sunday evening. Forward Foster Langsdorf scored his sixth goal of the 2019 campaign, while defender Todd Wharton and midfielder Ryan Sierakowski recorded their fifth and fourth 2019 USL Championship goals, respectively.
T2 firsts
Portland Timbers Academy defender Caleb Kiner made his first career start for T2, logging 90 minutes of play and adding his first assist as a professional. Kiner (16 years, 10 months, 22 days) is the youngest player to start in a match for T2. Gio Calixtro previously held the record as the youngest player to start a match for the club (17 yrs., 4 months, 15 days), when he started against Reno 1868 FC on July 22, 2017. Kiner made his T2 debut on Aug. 7, logging 27 minutes as a second-half substitute in a 2-2 road draw against Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC.
T2 against New Mexico United
Sunday’s match marked the second all-time meeting between New Mexico United and T2, with Portland leading the series 1-0-1, after the two teams played to a 3-3 draw at Isotopes Park on April 26, 2019. Sierakowski scored for Portland in both matches against New Mexico this season.
Key plays
Opening the first half on the attack, Portland grabbed an early lead three minutes into the match off a Cristian Ojeda corner kick. Following a New Mexico deflection, Langsdorf controlled the ball with his chest before unleashing a powerful right-footed shot from the top of the box, placing the ball into the far corner to score in a second consecutive match for T2.
Continuing to apply pressure, T2 came close to doubling the lead in the 18th minute on the counter, after Gio Calixtro found a cross from Nathan Smith from the right flank before striking a right-footed shot from the center of the box that went wide to the left of the goal.
Four minutes later, creative build-up play from Eryk Williamson led to another solid chance for Portland, as he powered his way into New Mexico’s box in the 22nd minute, crossing the ball to Langsdorf, who fired a close-range shot that was cleared off the line by defender Rashid Tetteh.
In the 32nd minute, Langsdorf attempted a long-distance shot from the left side of the field that was parried away by goalkeeper Cody Mizell. Ojeda picked up the rebound, but his left-footed attempt went over the crossbar.
Five minutes before the break and following a set-piece play, Chris Wehan floated a cross to Josh Suggs in the center of the box. Suggs connected a left-footed shot right outside the six-yard box that was controlled by T2 goalkeeper Aljaz Ivacic in the 40th minute.
T2 had the first chance of the second half in the 54th minute. Carlos Anguiano found space to fire a left-footed shot from outside the box, but Mizell dove to his right for the save. Langsdorf picked up the rebound, but New Mexico’s defense managed to block the strikers’ shot.
T2 scored their second goal four minutes later, as Kiner found space in the upper-right side of the field near New Mexico’s box and slotted a pass to Sierakowski, who fired a powerful right-footed shot from distance to double Portland’s lead in the 58th minute.
New Mexico had a chance to cut into T2’s lead in the 64th minute when Suggs drew a foul in the penalty area, but Kevaughn Frater’s penalty attempt sailed over the crossbar.
New Mexico United scored its first goal of the match in the 72th minute when Santi Moar managed to get into T2’s right side of the box, finishing with a strong shot that eluded Ivacic, making the score 2-1.
A penalty kick was awarded to T2 just two minutes later, after Langsdorf was fouled inside the box. Wharton stepped in and converted the penalty with a right-footed shot to the bottom right corner of the goal in the 74th minute, notching his fifth goal of the season.
Second-half substitute David Estrada put New Mexico back within one goal at 3-2 in the 87th minute, finishing with a right-footed shot past Ivacic after Devon Sandoval slotted a through ball in the center of the box.
Next game
Next up, T2 will play host to OKC Energy FC at Providence Park on Friday, Aug. 16. Beginning at 7:30 p.m. (Pacific), the match against OKC Energy FC will be streamed live on ESPN+.
Postgame Quote Sheet
T2 head coach Cameron Knowles
On the team's first-half performance...
"I think it was outstanding. I think we built on the last game. We started the last game very well and played the first 45 minutes in particular really well, and the message to the guys was to continue to start the same way and start strong. They heard it, and they went out and they executed really well, so it was a great start to the game and a great result overall."
On containing the New Mexico attack tonight...
"We dodged some bullets. The one that hits the post and the penalty kick are obviously big moments in the game. But I think for a young group and a back four and the team defending overall, the guys were outstanding. The quality of the opposition on the field is very high and we've shown that we can compete with anyone."
On the team's effort to push for that third goal...
"Something we continue to instill in them is that we have to keep going forward, we have to keep trying to attack and a team like that that likes to press – we saw a lot of that in the video. Andrew [Gregor] did a great job with the video, where we saw those moments where we were going to open up in the game where we could and, hopefully, exploit them."
T2 (8-7-8, 32pts) vs. New Mexico United (8-6-9, 33pts)
July 28, 2019 – Providence Park (Portland, Ore.)
Goals by Half 1 2 F
T2 1 2 3
New Mexico 0 2 2
Scoring Summary:
POR: Langsdorf, 3
POR: Sierakowski (Kiner), 58
NM: Moar, 72
POR: Wharton (penalty kick), 74
NM: Estrada (Sandoval, Soler), 87
Misconduct Summary
NM: Padilla (caution), 14
NM: Suggs (caution), 19
POR: Williamson (caution), 43
NM: Frater (caution), 66
NM: Schmidt (caution), 77
NM: Padilla (ejection), 84
POR: Langsdorf (caution), 90+3
NM: Bruce (caution), 90+4
Lineups:
POR: GK Ivacic, D Kiner, D Diz Pe, D Wharton ©, D Smith, M Sierakowski, M Williamson, M Anguiano, M Ojeda, F Calixtro, F Langsdorf
Substitutes Not Used: GK Leeker, D Elliott, D Hanson, D Ornstil, M Kobayashi
TOTAL SHOTS: 17 (Langsdorf, 6); SHOTS ON GOAL: 6 (Langsdorf, 3); FOULS: 14 (Langsdorf, 5); OFFSIDES: 0; CORNER KICKS: 5; SAVES: 1
NM: GK Mizell, D Padilla, D Tetteh, D Schmidt, Suggs ©, M Akamatsu (Bruce, 71), M Guzmán (Soler, 60), M Wehan, M Moar (Estrada, 83), F Frater, F Sandoval
Substitutes Not Used: GK Beaury, D Sampson, D Yearwood, M Muhammad
TOTAL SHOTS: 17 (Sandoval, 5); SHOTS ON GOAL: 3 (Three players tied, 1); FOULS: 22 (Frater, 6); OFFSIDES: 6; CORNER KICKS: 3; SAVES: 2
Referee: Greg Dopka
Assistant Referees: Seth Martin, Andrew Marihart
4th Official: Katie Salvey
Attendance: 2,316
Weather: Cloudy, 73 degrees
All statistics contained in this box score are unofficial
