USL Match Preview | Portland Timbers 2 at Sacramento Republic FC | Apr. 18, 2015

PORTLAND, Ore. – PORTLAND, Ore. – Following consecutive away matches at Real Monarchs SLC and Seattle Sounders FC 2, T2 travel again this week, as they face Sacramento Republic FC at Bonney Field; kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. (Pacific).

T2 (2-1-1, 7pts) look to bounce back against Sacramento Republic FC (3-2-0, 9pts) after sustaining their first defeat of the season in a 2-1 loss to Seattle Sounders FC 2 at Starfire Stadium on April 11. The match in Sacramento will mark T2’s third consecutive away game, having recorded a draw and a loss in their first two road games after opening the season with two wins at home.

T2 have scored seven goals and allowed five through the first four matches of their inaugural USL season. Forward Kharlton Belmar ranks second in the league in goals scored with a total of three, including the club’s first-ever goal in USL in the win over Real Monarchs on March 29. Steven Evans marked the difference last time Portland and Sacramento squared off, notching the game winner in the 85th minute on April 2, in a 2-1 win over Republic FC. In advance of the second meeting between the two sides, T2 have signed defender Danny O’Rourke, a 10-year MLS veteran who appeared in 12 games (10 starts) for the Portland Timbers in 2014.

Sacramento Republic FC enter Saturday’s match following a 2-0 victory over Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2 in their second regular-season home game at Bonney Field in Sacramento, Calif., on Wednesday. Midfielder Rodrigo Lopez, who leads USL with four goals in 2015, scored both goals for Sacramento, capping off his brace with an unassisted, 60-yard strike that caught Vancouver’s goalkeeper off his line.

Republic FC are now tied for first place in the Western Conference and rank first overall in the league with 11 goals scored and 58 shots taken through five matches. Saturday will mark the second time T2 and Republic FC face each other this month.

The match will be carried on a live, high-definition web stream on www.timbers2.com.