PORTLAND, Ore. – Following a 2-0 win against the PDL side Michigan Bucks in the second round of the 2015 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup at Ultimate Soccer Arenas in Pontiac, Mich., on Tuesday, T2 return home to face Seattle Sounders FC 2 at Merlo Field on Friday, May 22; kickoff is set for 7 p.m. (Pacific).
Preceding their U.S. Open Cup victory, T2 (3-3-2, 11 pts) earned a 1-1 draw at Rio Tinto Stadium against Real Monarchs SLC on May 16 and finished their three-game, USL regular-season series unbeaten against Real Monarchs (1-0-2). The series included consecutive 1-1 draws at Rio Tinto Stadium and a 3-1 win over Real Monarchs in T2’s first-ever USL match on March 29 at Merlo Field in Portland.
Friday’s match marks the first time Seattle Sounders FC 2 (5-2-1, 16 pts) travel to Merlo Field to face T2 and the second meeting between the two USL expansion clubs this year. Earlier this season, T2 sustained their first loss, falling 2-1 on the road to S2 on April 11 at Starfire Stadium in Tukwila, Wash. Defender Harrison Delbridge scored the first goal of the match in the 30th minute, but Seattle was able to tie the game in the second half and net a late game-winning goal in the 88th minute to grab the win over T2. Portland will face Seattle two more times in the regular season as S2 returns to the Rose City on June 29, while T2 will travel to Starfire Stadium on July 24.
Seattle enters Friday’s match following a 4-2 extra-time victory over the Kitsap Pumas on Wednesday in the second round of the 2015 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. The win came following S2’s 3-1 victory over OKC Energy FC at Starfire Stadium on May 15, where S2 forward Andy Craven tallied a brace to give Seattle the win. Craven and forward Darwin Jones lead S2 with four goals each this season and rank tied for sixth in goals among all USL players.
S2 remain undefeated at home through five matches, but have not been able to secure a win on the road all season. T2, meanwhile, are undefeated at Merlo Field this season (2-0-0), defeating Real Monarchs SLC on March 29 and Sacramento Republic FC on April 2. T2 have tallied five goals in two home games at Merlo Field while allowing only two.
Tickets for Friday’s T2 match are available online by clicking here. Additionally, Friday’s match will be available via a live, high-definition web stream at www.timbers2.com.
Following Friday’s game against S2, T2 will face S2 just five days later in the third round of the 2015 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup at Starfire Stadium on Wednesday, May 27; kickoff is set for 1 p.m. (Pacific). T2 subsequently begin a three-game USL road swing following the Open Cup match, traveling to square off against Tulsa Roughnecks FC on Saturday, May 30, at ONEOK Field; kickoff is set for 5:30 p.m. (Pacific).
