PORTLAND, Ore. – Playing in their regular-season home finale, T2 will square off against Phoenix Rising FC at Providence Park on Wednesday, Sept. 27. Set to begin at 7:30 p.m. (Pacific), Wednesday’s match will be available via a live, high-definition web stream at www.timbers2.com.
Wednesday’s contest marks the first of two matches between Portland and Phoenix this season, as both teams will meet again Saturday, Oct. 14, at Phoenix Rising Soccer Complex to close out the 2017 regular season. T2 hold an undefeated record (4-0-1) in five matches all-time against Phoenix Rising. In the most recent matchup between the two teams, Portland defeated Phoenix 3-2 in Portland on Sept. 24, 2016.
T2 (2-19-6, 12pts) enter Wednesday’s match looking to bounce back from a loss to Reno 1868 FC at Greater Nevada Field on Sept. 23, which snapped a three-match unbeaten run. Portland scored its lone goal of the match in the 73rd minute when midfielder Tomás Granitto’s free-kick delivery into the box from the left wing picked out midfielder Max Ornstil, who redirected his header into the lower-left corner of the net to record his second goal of the season. The assist marked Granitto’s second of 2017.
Dating back to 2015, T2 is unbeaten at home (2-0-0) against Phoenix, having outscored Rising FC 6-3 in two matches in Portland. Ten different players have scored for T2 this season, while goalkeeper Kendall McIntosh ranks fifth in the USL with 78 saves.
Phoenix Rising FC (13-7-7, 46pts) heads into Wednesday’s game following a 4-0 win on the road over Whitecaps FC 2 at Thunderbird Stadium on Sept. 24, which extended a four-match winning streak. Phoenix sits in fifth place in the Western Conference standings and carries a 4-4-5 record on the road this season. Forward Jason Johnson, who most recently scored in the 4-0 win over Whitecaps FC 2, leads the team and ranks tied for ninth in the USL with nine goals, while forward Didier Drogba is the club’s second-leading scorer (4). Additionally, goalkeeper Josh Cohen has made 62 saves and has six shutouts in 22 appearances this season.
Individual-game tickets start at $10 and are available at the Providence Park box office on gameday or by visiting www.timbers.com/tickets.
Following Wednesday’s match, T2 will travel to face Cascadia-rival Whitecaps FC 2 on Saturday, Sept. 30; kickoff is set for 3 p.m. (Pacific).
