PORTLAND, Ore. – Playing the first game of a two-match homestand in USL play, T2 defeated LA Galaxy II 7-3 on Providence Health & Fitness Day at Providence Park before 5,857 fans on Friday. Forward Foster Langsdorf tallied the first hat-trick in team history and Marvin Loría recorded his first USL goal as one of five different players to score for T2, who tallied four unanswered goals over the final 14 minutes of the match including stoppage time to extend their unbeaten run to four games.
Run of form
In their last eight games dating back to April 4, T2 are now 5-1-2. With Friday’s win, Portland improved to 3-1-0 at home this season (2-0-0 at Providence Park) on the road this season and is now undefeated in its last four matches (3-0-1).
Lucky number seven
T2 scored a club-record seven goals in the win against LA Galaxy II, as five different players scored in the win for Portland. Langsdorf tallied his team-leading fifth goal of 2018, while Loría, midfielder Victor Arboleda, midfielder Eryk Williamson and forward Augustine Williams each recorded one goal. The previous record for the most goals scored in a match was four, which was last achieved in a 4-0 win over OKC Energy FC on Sept. 4, 2016.
Timbers on loan
Seven Portland Timbers players started today’s match for T2. Defender Vytas made his third start of the USL season, playing 45 minutes. Defender Bill Tuiloma made his third consecutive start for T2, playing the full 90 minutes. Midfielder Jack Barmby made his fourth start of 2018, playing 70 minutes.
Key plays
Holding a 21-13 shot advantage in the match, T2 opened the scoring in the 25th minute following a long clearance into the penalty area from Tuiloma that found Arboleda. Getting a touch on the ball, Arboleda’s pass found Langsdorf, who finished from a tight angle to give T2 a 1-0 lead.
Portland took a 2-0 lead in the 43rd minute when Langsdorf, who was on the receiving end of defender Jimmy Mulligan’s pass into the six-yard box, slotted his finish past Galaxy II goalkeeper Eric Lopez.
LA cut into T2’s lead when second-half substitute Efrain Alvarez curled his shot from the right edge of the 18-yard box past T2 goalkeeper Alex Mangels into the far corner of the net in the 49th minute.
After Langsdorf was fouled inside the penalty area by an LA defender, he stepped up to the penalty spot and fired his finish into the back of the net to secure his first professional hat-trick in the 57th minute to give T2 a 3-1 lead.
Galaxy II answered back after midfielder Miguel Aguilar curled his effort past the outreached arms of Mangels in the 59th minute. Nine minutes later, Alvarez scored his second of the match when he struck his volleyed effort into the lower right corner of the net in the 68th minute to tie the match at 3-3.
T2 regained the lead in the 81st minute after Arboleda beat five LA Galaxy II defenders down the left endline, finding Loría on the edge of the six-yard box. Looking up, Loría played the ball to Williamson, who fired past Lopez to score his second goal of 2018. The assist was Loría’s first of 2018.
Loría gave T2 a 5-3 lead in stoppage time when he curled his precise free-kick attempt from just outside the 18-yard box up and over the LA wall and into the back of the net in the 90th minute.
Four minutes later, Arboleda pounced on a turnover in Galaxy II’s 18-yard box, placing his shot past Lopez to register his fourth goal of the year. One minute later, Loría, who finished the match with a game-high six chances created, fired a shot that deflected off Williams and beat Lopez at his near post. The goal marked Williams’ third of the season.
Next Game
Next up, T2 will play host to 2. Bundesliga side FC St. Pauli at Providence Park in an international friendly on Tuesday, May 22; kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. (Pacific). Following the May 22 match, Portland will host Real Monarchs SLC in USL play at Providence Park on Saturday, May 26. Beginning at 2 p.m. (Pacific), the match against Real Monarchs will be streamed live on ESPN+.
Postgame Quote Sheet
T2 head coach Cameron Knowles
On his thoughts on the match following the 7-3 win over LA Galaxy II…
“I thought we put together a really good first half of the game. We knew that we would see a different team in the second half. They would have to come out and do something different. We talked about some of the individual quality that some of their guys had to turn the game and we certainly made it interesting, but the response from the players to come back and continue to score and put the game away was really impressive.”
On Foster Langsdorf’s first hat-trick in club history…
“I thought he was outstanding. If you look at his work rate up there – the amount of pressure he put their players under, the amount of balls that he fights for and he puts himself in good positions to score – he’s got a lot of quality finishing in front of goal. I think he’s been very good. He’s been good all year and the way that he fights and battles and applies himself to training it’s no surprise to see him doing so well.”
On T2’s upcoming matches…
“I think we’ve been playing well. We obviously have a good string of results and that’s really helped us. We’ve got a difficult stretch coming up with the mid-week game [against FC St. Pauli] adding to the schedule, but I think it will be a good opportunity for some of the guys who haven’t maybe played a little bit, to get some time and to play against a different opposition. They’re a different team where you’re not playing for points and you’re able to play a little bit more free. Then there’s a massive test next weekend with Real Monarchs SLC. They probably presented our biggest challenge to date all year. They’re a very good team with very good players, so we’re going to have to be at our best in that game.
T2 (6-3-2, 20pts) vs. LA Galaxy II (1-6-3, 4pts)
May 18, 2018 – Providence Park (Portland, Ore.)
Goals by Half 1 2 F
T2 2 5 7
LA Galaxy II 0 3 3
Scoring Summary:
POR: Langsdorf (Arboleda), 25
POR: Langsdorf (Mulligan), 43
LA: Alvarez (Aguilar), 49
POR: Langsdorf (penalty kick), 57
LA: Aguilar (Appiah), 59
LA: Alvarez, 68
POR: Williamson (Loria), 81
POR: Loria, 90+1
POR: Arboleda, 90+4
POR: Williams (Loria), 90+5
Misconduct Summary
LA: Aguilar (caution), 47
POR: Loria (caution), 58
POR: Tuiloma (caution), 80
POR: Lewis (caution), 87
LA: Appiah (caution), 90+1
Lineups:
POR: GK Mangels, D Mulligan, D Tuiloma, D Jadama ©, D Vytas (Batista, 46), M Zambrano, M Williamson, M Loría, M Barmby (Lewis, 70), M Arboleda, F Langsdorf (Williams, 83)
Substitutes Not Used: GK Pack, D Hanson, D Phillips, M Enriquez
TOTAL SHOTS: 21 (Arboleda, Langsdorf, 5); SHOTS ON GOAL: 12 (Arboleda, 5); FOULS: 13 (Williamson, 4); OFFSIDES: 2; CORNER KICKS: 3; SAVES: 3
LAG: GK E. Lopez, D Shultz (Buescher, 87), D Engola, D Arellano, D Requejo, M Aguilar, M Zanga, M Appiah, M Vera (Acheampong, 57), F Zubak, F F. Lopez (Alvarez, 46)
Substitutes Not Used: GK Hamilton, M Hernandez, M Pedro
TOTAL SHOTS: 13 (Aguilar, Zubak, 3); SHOTS ON GOAL: 5 (Aguilar, Alvarez, 2); FOULS: 13 (Zanga, Zubak, 3); OFFSIDES: 0; CORNER KICKS: 7; SAVES: 5
Referee: Mike Hohnholz
Assistant Referees: Christian Clerc, Hunter France
4th Official: CJ Koll
Attendance: 5,857
Weather: Cloudy, 58 degrees
All statistics contained in this box score are unofficial
