PORTLAND, Ore. – After a scoreless first half, Timbers2 and Ventura County FC combined to score six goals in the final 45 minutes, playing to a 3-3 draw Sunday afternoon at Providence Park. Christian Mendoza and Max Eisenberg both scored their first professional goals and Josh Penn tallied his third goal of the season as T2 came back from a 2-0 deficit after 58 minutes to earn a point at home.
First Goals
Christian Mendoza and Max Eisenberg each scored their first-ever professional goals Sunday afternoon. Both did so as second-half substitutions, with Mendoza scoring one minute after checking into the match. Notably, it was the fastest a T2 sub has scored a goal after entering a match so far this season. Eisenberg scored four minutes after coming into the game. With their goals, it marked the first time two Timbers2 substitutes have scored in the same match so far this season.
Leading Contributor
With his two-goal contribution performance (1G, 1A), Josh Penn took the lead as T2’s leading contributer with seven (3G, 4A). Penn scored for a third consecutive T2 home match (5/10 vs. TAC; 5/31 vs. HOU), tying Kyle Linhares for the team lead in goals scored (3). The goal was Penn's first from the penalty spot so far this season and second from a set piece.
Goal-Scoring Plays
VCFC – Isaiah Parente, 54th minute: Gino Vivi received the ball on the left and attacked the top of the box before taking a shot that was deflected. The ball fell to Isaiah Parente in the middle of the box, who took a low-driven, right-footed shot into the bottom left corner of the net.
VCFC – Aaron Bibout (Ruben Ramos), 58th minute: Making a diagonal run, Ruben Ramos received the ball on the right wing and took a touch before sending a low cross across the box to Aaron Bibout at the far post. The forward settled the ball with his right foot before firing it into the back of the net.
POR – Christian Mendoza, 61st minute: Applying pressure high up the field, T2 forced an errant pass that Noah Santos intercepted in the attacking third. Santos took a touch and fired a shot that was saved, but the rebound fell to Christian Mendoza in the box, who used his right foot to strike the ball into the goal.
POR – Josh Penn (Penalty), 83rd minute: Victor Enríquez earned a penalty kick for Timbers2 after being taken down inside the box. Josh Penn stepped up to the spot and used his left foot to slot the ball past Ventura County FC GK Brady Scott.
POR – Max Eisenberg (Josh Penn), 88th minute: On a corner kick, Kyle Linhares served the ball into the center of the box that found the head of Max Eisenberg, who redirected it into goal.
VCFC – Ruben Ramos (Eric Hernandez), 90+5 minute: After a moment of chaos in Timbers2's defensive third, the ball dropped to the feet of Ruben Ramos, who used a half-turn to generate space before taking a right-footed shot that found the bottom-left corner of the net.
Notes
- The result was the first-ever draw between Timbers2 and Ventura County FC of the MLS NEXT Pro era (1-1-1).
- Christian Mendoza scored his first-ever professional goal with his strike in the 61st minute.
- Scoring one minute after coming into the match, Mendoza's goal was the fastest goal for a T2 substitute so far this season.
- With his goal from the penalty spot, Josh Penn has scored in three straight home matches.
- Penn has now scored three goals so far in 2024, which ties Kyle Linhares for the team lead.
- The goal was Penn's first from the penalty spot so far this season.
- With his goal in the 88th minute, Max Eisenberg scored his first-ever professional goal.
- Penn's assist on Eisenberg's goal marked his fourth of the season, which leads all players.
- This afternoon marked the first time so far this season that Timbers2 had two substitutes score a goal in the same match.
- The six-goal second half was the highest-scoring half T2 has played in so far this season.
- With the draw, Timbers2 are now undefeated in their last four home matches and have lost just one of their last six.
- Serge Dinkota is now 2-1-2 since being named Timbers2’s full-time head coach on May 3.
- Today marked the fifth time so far this season T2 has played to a draw and had to compete in a penalty kick shootout.
- Only Chatanooga FC has competed in as many penalty kick shootouts as T2 (5).
- Timbers2 next embarks on a three-match road trip, their longest stretch away from Providence Park all season.
Next Game
Next up, Timbers2 hit the road for a three-game road trip, which begins against Austin FC II. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. (Pacific) Friday, June 14, at Parmer Field. The match will be streamed on MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV app.
Timbers2 (3-4-5, 16 pts) vs. Ventura County FC (6-3-3, 24 pts)
June 9, 2024 – Providence Park (Portland, Ore.)
Scoring Summary:
VCFC: Parente, 54
VCFC: Bibout (Ramos), 58
POR: Mendoza, 61
POR: Penn, 83
POR: Eisenberg (Penn), 88
VCFC: Ramos (Hernandez), 90+5
Shootout Summary:
1 POR: Pope – Goal
1 VCFC: Vivi – Goal
2 POR: Clegg – Save
2 VCFC: Parente – Goal
3 POR: Ferdinand – Goal
3 VCFC: Miller – Goal
4 POR: Jones-Riley – Save
4 VCFC: Bibout – Save
5 POR: Linhares – Miss
Misconduct Summary:
VCFC: Garcés (caution), 26
POR: Enríquez (caution), 78
VCFC: Villalpando (caution), 80
VCFC: Vivi (caution), 90+3
Lineups:
POR: GK Miller, D Pope, D Clegg, D Ferdinand ©, D Neville (Jones-Riley, 59), M Enríquez (Eisenberg, 84), M Moreno (Mendoza, 60), M Johnston, F Santos (Rad, 90), F Penn, F Bunbury (Linhares, 60)
Substitutes Not Used: GK Deisenhofer, D Jura, D Manzo, M Najib
TOTAL SHOTS: 14 (Penn, 3); SHOTS ON GOAL: 8 (Santos, Penn, 2); FOULS: 11 (Penn, 4); OFFSIDES: 1; CORNER KICKS: 2; SAVES: 3
VCFC: GK Scott, D Dalgado, D Essengue (Nare, 76), D Garcés (Klein, 64), D Cuevas (Miller, 64), M Parente, M Lepley (Hernandez, 89), M Vivi ©, M Ramos Jr., M Karani (Villalpando, 79), F Bibout
Substitutes Not Used: GK Adams, M Diaz, M Arnold
TOTAL SHOTS: 24 (Vivi, Ramos, 6); SHOTS ON GOAL: 7 (Lepley, Bibout, 2); FOULS: 12 (Essengue, Ramos, 3); OFFSIDES: 5; CORNER KICKS: 6; SAVES: 5
Referee: Corbyn May
Assistant Referees: Clarence Clark, Ryan Jung
Fourth Official: Aidan Velasco
All statistics contained in this box score are unofficial.
