US OPEN CUP MATCH RECAP | Portland Timbers 2: 2, Michigan Bucks: 0

PONTIAC, Mich. – Forward Kharlton Belmar and midfielder Fatawu Safiu each scored second-half goals and T2 registered a clean sheet in a 2-0 win over PDL side Michigan Bucks in the second round of the 2015 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on Tuesday night at Ultimate Soccer Arenas in Pontiac, Mich. With the win, T2 advance to the third round of the U.S. Open Cup to face the winner of Wednesday’s match between Seattle Sounders FC 2 and the Kitsap Pumas on May 27 in a location to be determined depending on Wednesday’s result.

Following a scoreless first half, Belmar, T2’s leading goal scorer in USL regular-season action, netted the go-ahead goal in the 55th minute with a well-placed header inside the far post from a pinpoint cross by midfielder Seth Casiple. The go-ahead goal is Belmar’s sixth goal in nine matches across all competitions this season and his first in U.S. Open Cup play. Casiple, who made his T2 debut on Tuesday, recorded two assists in the team’s inaugural Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup match.

The Bucks pushed to level the score late in the match, but were caught on the counterattack in the third minute of second-half stoppage time as Portland doubled its lead. On a three-on-one break, Casiple found Fatawu on the left side of the penalty box, and the Ghanaian forward calmly finished into the open net for his second goal of the season across all competitions.

T2 (3-3-2, 11pts) return home to face Seattle Sounders FC 2 (5-3-1, 16pts) in a USL league game at Merlo Field on Friday, May 22; kickoff is set for 7 p.m. (Pacific). Single-game tickets for T2 home games are available by clicking here.

T2 at Michigan Bucks
May 19, 2015 – Ultimate Soccer Arenas (Pontiac, Mich.)

Goals by Half                1          2          F
Michigan Bucks            0          0          0
T2                                    0          2          2

Scoring Summary
POR: Belmar (Casiple), 55
POR: Fatawu (Casiple), 90+3

Misconduct Summary
POR: Fatawu (Caution), 27
POR: Gavin (Caution), 67
MB: Charalambous, 75

Lineups & Stats
POR: GK Luthy, D Richards, D Clarke, D Delbridge, D Rose, M Payne, M Gavin ©, M Fatawu, M Winchester, F Belmar, F Biglieri (Casiple, 30)

Substitutes Not Used: GK Withrow, D Evans, F Prescott

TOTAL SHOTS: 10; SHOTS ON GOAL: 10; FOULS: 8; OFFSIDES: 5; CORNER KICKS: 2; SAVES: 3

MB: GK Patterson, D Brandt (Givens, 87), D Wysong, D Devries, D Carroll, M Owens ©, M Rezende, M Wladyko (Adkins, 56), M Charalambous, M Goldsmith, F Mirosevic (Talery, 79)

Substitutes Not Used: GK Steinwascher, D Boch, M Nowak, F Neto

TOTAL SHOTS: 9; SHOTS ON GOAL: 3; FOULS: 13; OFFSIDES: 4; CORNER KICKS: 6; SAVES: 8

Referee: Donovan Noocha
Assistant Referees: Igor Reznik, Korey Carter
4th Official: Marc Lawrence
Attendance: 467
Weather: Indoor

All statistics contained in this box score are unofficial