T2 Goalkeeper Kendall McIntosh corrals a loose ball away from Vancouver.
by Matt Hoffman (@mhoff)
It’s the final week of the USL season and four teams are competing for the eighth, and final spot, in the Western Conference.
Timbers 2 (T2) are right in the thick of it as they host Arizona United in their final regular season match Saturday night at Merlo Field (7pm PST).
Whether it is the end of the season is another matter and in the hands of two other clubs: namely San Antonio, Orange County and, should everything break just right, the Real Monarchs SLC.
Neco Brett has been a handful for T2 opponents.
Portland and Orange County are tied at 37 points which is one point behind San Antonio who are at 38.
San Antonio’s opponent, Rio Grande, are third overall but trail the top teams (Sacramento Republic and Colorado Springs) by a point. With a playoff spot guaranteed but the top overall seed still in play, Rio Grande Valley will likely do more than merely lie down and allow San Antonio to have their way with them.
If San Antonio wins, there is no chance for T2 to advance. Likewise, any post-sean ambitions T2 has will be for naught should they fail to earn at least a point. Should T2 earn a point and catch San Antonio, they have the tiebreaker with more 11 wins to San Antonio’s 10.
The Orange County Blues have a slightly tougher time of it all, traveling to first place Colorado Springs. Should it come down to a tie, T2 are level with Orange County on wins (each with 11) but, as things stand now, Portland holds a slight edge in goal-differential (-5 to -6).
Villyan Bijev has three goals and two assists going back to early September.
At 36 points, Real Monarchs SLC could advance with a win but would need San Antonio to lose and would require draws from Portland and Orange County.
That T2 is in even in the mix for a playoff spot is a story itself. It took a club-record four-game winning streak to put T2 in the position they are in today.
Since September 4th, T2 have outscored opponents nine goals to one.
Villyan Bijev has been brilliant during the recent 12 point surge registering three goals and two assists en route to earning USL Player of the Week honors.
Bijev, a Bulgarian raised in Fresno, has represented both nations at the international level, is tied for the USL lead in assists with nine. Meanwhile, Neco Brett, the speedy Jamaican the Timbers selected in the second-round pick from Robert Morris has contributed a team-high seven goals.
Blake Bodily helps pressure a Whitecaps2 player.
“[Bijev and Brett] have been good impact players for us and they took their opportunities,” T2 Head Coach Andrew Gregor said following the September 18th win over Vancouver. “Neco had a nice finish tonight at the near post and then Bijev just continues to work and work with a little bit of skill at the end to finish off a little bit of a mistake by Vancouver.”
“There’s a belief in the group right now, there’s a belief in the individuals and it’s a real positive environment at the moment.”
On the other end of the field, three of the team’s six clean sheets of 2016 have come during the streak. Goalkeeper Kendall McIntosh is coming off a five-save performance against Whitecaps2.
Despite having a win and a draw in two previous matches against Arizona, Gregor knows not to take them lightly adding that Arizona is a “well-coached team”:
“It’s going to be a difficult game for us. These are the games that you want at this time of the year. These are the games that mean something and they’re important. It helps with the development of the players and it gives them a challenge to see if they can get themselves into the playoffs. It’s got to be a game that everyone is looking at and wants to play in and wants to be a part of because it should be a big one.”
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