USL MATCH PREVIEW | T2 travel to face Cascadia-rival Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2 Sunday

PORTLAND, Ore. – Playing their third consecutive and final road match of the regular season, T2 will travel to face Cascadia-rival Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2 at Thunderbird Stadium on Sunday, Sept. 18; kickoff is set for 2 p.m. (Pacific).

Sunday’s matchup marks the eighth meeting all-time between the two clubs since 2015, with Portland trailing the series 2-5-0.

T2 (10-14-4, 34pts) enter Sunday’s road match looking to extend a club-record three-game winning streak following a 2-1 win on the road against Arizona United SC on Sept. 13 at Peoria Sports Complex. Midfielder Neco Brett scored the game-winning goal in stoppage time after midfielder Villyan Bijev played a ball in behind the Arizona defense and Brett’s left-footed finish from inside the box was placed into the back of the net. After falling behind 1-0, T2 began the comeback in the 59th minute when forward Augustine Williams scored his second goal of the season after volleying home Brett’s cross from inside the six-yard box. With the win, Portland is now three points out of the final playoff spot in the Western Conference with two games to play. Through 28 games played, Brett leads the team in goals scored (6), while Bijev leads the team and ranks second in the USL in assists (8).

Whitecaps FC 2 (11-8-9, 42pts) heads into Sunday’s match following a 2-0 loss at home against Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC on Sept. 11, which extended a four-game winless streak. Sitting in fifth place in the Western Conference, Vancouver has a 6-3-4 record at home. Forward Kyle Greig, who last scored in a 2-1 loss to Seattle Sounders FC 2 on Sept. 2, leads the club with 11 goals scored, while forward Daniel Haber ranks second on the team in goals (7) and leads Vancouver with four assists.

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

Following Sunday’s match, T2 close out the 2016 USL regular season when they play host to Arizona United SC at Merlo Field on Saturday, Sept. 24; kickoff is set for 7 p.m. (Pacific).