COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – In Week 23 of the USL Championship season, T2 earned a 2-2 draw against Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC at Weidner Field on Wednesday night. Foster Langsdorf recorded his fifth goal of the season, while Cristian Ojeda logged his second goal of the 2019 campaign.
Road form
With the draw, T2 has earned a point in eight of its 12 road matches this season. T2 rank tied for third in the league with four road wins this season. Additionally, Portland currently ranks first in the USL Championship in road goals (25), recording their ninth multi-goal game on the road this season with two goals against Colorado Springs.
T2 debut
Timbers Academy defender Caleb Kiner made his T2 debut, logging 27 minutes as a second-half substitute. Kiner (16 years, 10 months, 18 days) is the youngest player ever to appear in a match for T2. Gio Calixtro (16 years, 11 months, 13 days) previously held the record as the youngest player to play for the club.
Key plays
In the 35th minute, Ojeda switched the point of the attack, playing the ball out wide to Harold Hanson on the right side of the field. Hanson served a ball to the edge of the six-yard box that was cleared by Switchbacks FC, but Ojeda pounced on the loose ball, firing a left-footed strike into the back of the net.
Ismaila Jome tied the match for Colorado Springs in the 48th minute. Switchbacks FC were awarded an indirect free kick in the box after T2 goalkeeper Aljaz Ivacic touched the ball with his hand following a back pass. Abdul Rwatubyaye passed the ball to Jome, who slotted the ball into the left corner of the goal from the edge of the six-yard box.
Continuing on the attack in the 54th minute, Eryk Williamsonnearly gave Portland the lead with a right-footed shot from the center of the box, but his effort was saved by Abraham Rodriguez.
In the 58th minute, Ivacic came up with a big save, pushing a shot from Saeed Robinson inside the box over the crossbar.
Robinson gave Colorado Springs the 2-1 lead in the 67th minute. Receiving the ball at the top of the box from Austin Dewing, Robinson split two defenders and fired a shot from close range into the back of the net.
T2 reacted quickly to level the match at 2-2 in the 69th minute. Langsdorf picked up the rebound off a long-range strike from Ojeda that bounced off the crossbar and deposited a header from the center of the box into the goal, tallying his fifth goal of the 2019 USL Championship season.
Next game
Next up, T2 will play host to New Mexico United at Providence Park on Sunday, Aug. 11. Beginning at 6 p.m. (Pacific), the match against New Mexico United will be streamed live on ESPN+.
Postgame Quote Sheet
T2 head coach Cameron Knowles
On the meaning of the result...
"We needed to get back to a great performance and see some character out of the guys and I think they answered that call. We wanted to challenge them to play with desire and to get that goal back and to see them create some dangerous chances was really encouraging.”
On the team’s performance…
“I thought it was good, overall. I think the first 45 minutes was the best first half we’ve seen in quite some time. The second half had some things we could’ve clean up, but overall I think it was a really good performance. This was the kind of performance we need to raise our standards for the rest of the season.”
On the effort the team made to find the equalizer…
“The effort was outstanding. The guys kept trying and kept pushing to create the chance and it was unfortunate we couldn’t find the goal. But then on the same token they made plays on the other end in order to come out of here with a draw, as we’ve seen the result slip away from us in recent weeks, so to come out of here with a point is a point well deserved.”
T2 (7-7-8, 29pts) vs. Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC (6-14-3, 21pts)
Aug. 7, 2019 – Weidner Field (Colorado Springs, Col.)
Goals by Half 1 2 F
Timbers 2 1 1 2
Switchbacks FC 0 2 2
Scoring Summary:
POR: Ojeda, 35
COS: Jome (Rwatubyaye), 48
COS: Robinson (Dewing), 67
POR: Langsdorf, 69
Misconduct Summary:
POR: Sierakowski (caution), 82
POR: Smith (caution), 90+3
Lineups:
POR: GK Ivacic, D Hanson (Kiner, 63), 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 Ornstil, D Elliott, M Kobayashi
TOTAL SHOTS: 10 (Ojeda, 3); SHOTS ON GOAL: 4 (Ojeda, 2); FOULS: 10 (Three players tied, 2); OFFSIDES: 4; CORNER KICKS: 8; SAVES: 5
COS: GK Rodriguez, D Burt ©, D Reaves, D Rwatubyaye, D Jome, M Malcolm, M Bone (Jack, 80), M Schweitzer, M Hundley, F Robinson, F Dewing (Romero, 87)
Substitutes Not Used: GK Ceus, D Yaro, D Raben, M Donsu, F Seth
TOTAL SHOTS: 14 (Robinson, 4); SHOTS ON GOAL: 7 (Robinson, 3); FOULS: 12 (Burt, Dewing, 3); OFFSIDES: 4; CORNER KICKS: 4; SAVES: 2
Referee: Brandon Stevis
Assistant Referees: Noah Kenyawani, Jacob Meyer
4th Official: James Morgan
Attendance: 4,201
Weather: Cloudy, 79 degrees
All statistics contained in this box score are unofficial
