USL MATCH PREVIEW | T2 to host Swope Park Rangers Saturday in Meridian, Idaho

PORTLAND, Ore. – After earning a 1-0 victory over Seattle Sounders FC 2 at Providence Park, T2 will play host to Swope Park Rangers on Saturday, June 4, at Rocky Mountain High School in Meridian, Idaho, located just outside of Boise; kickoff is set for 6 p.m. (Pacific)/7 p.m. (Mountain).

To purchase tickets online for Saturday’s match at Rocky Mountain High School, click here, with a portion of ticket sales going to the Idaho Youth Soccer Association’s member clubs as part of a partnership between IYSA and the Portland Timbers in the club’s homegrown territory. Additionally, tickets for Saturday’s match will be available at the venue box office.

T2 (4-6-1, 13pts) enter this week’s contest looking to build off their 1-0 win over Sounders FC 2 on May 26 at Providence Park. Forward Villyan Bijev tallied his first professional goal for Portland, while T2 improved to 2-1-0 at Providence Park in 2016. With Bijev’s finish, eight different players have scored for T2, with Victor Arboleda, Nick Besler, Neco Brett, Kharlton Belmar, Dylan Damraoui, Andre Lewis and Ben Polk each recording goals through 11 games. After tallying five saves, T2 goalkeeper Kendall McIntosh recorded his second career shutout in the win over Seattle..

Besler tallied the team’s first goal of the season and goalkeeper Wade Hamilton made six saves in the lone meeting between the two sides this season, with T2 falling 2-1 to Swope Park at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kan., in the season opener for both clubs on March 26.

After playing to a 1-1 draw against Sacramento Republic FC on May 28, Swope Park Rangers (3-4-2, 11pts) venture into Saturday’s match with only one win in their last six games. Forward Daniel Salloi, who last scored in the club’s 4-1 loss to Rio Grande Valley FC Toros on May 21, leads the team in points with three goals and three assists on the season. Midfielder Kevin Oliveria has recorded two goals and one assist and midfielder Tyler Pasher has scored twice so far in 2016.  

Saturday’s match will be available via a live, high-definition web stream at www.timbers2.com.

Next week, T2 return to Merlo Field on the campus of the University of Portland to host San Antonio FC on Saturday, June 11; kickoff is set for 7 p.m. (Pacific).