Portland Timbers 2 1-Oklahoma City Energy FC 2
Mistakes doom Portland Timbers 2 (8-5-2, 26pts) as they fall 2-1 to OKC Energy FC (3-10-1, 10pts) on Wednesday.
Entering the match second in the West and facing one of the worst sides in the United Soccer League, T2 looked to narrow the gap at the top of table. Energy FC, however, where unwilling to give Portland an easy result, capitalizing on the home team’s mistakes.
The first mistake came 30 seconds into the match when defender Lamar Batista gently passed the ball into no man’s land between the center backs and midfielders. OKC forward Jaime Siaj picked up the ball and ran into the box, before laying the ball off to forward Francis Atuahene. Atuahene’s shot would miss wide.
Portland insisted on tested fate again in the 7th minute. A normally sure-footed Marvin Loria’s first touch sent the ball back into space, which former Portland Timber Kalif Alhassan pounced on and played Siaj in behind. Siaj, one-on-one with the keeper, slotted the ball home with ease.
The misfortune would not dishearten T2, who found the match after conceding and started searching for an equalizer. Though they would not level the score in the first half, T2 found plenty of opportunity, with the two best chances coming in a five-minute span. In the 24th minute, winger Jack Barmby cut inside from the left wing, danced around defenders in the 18-yard-box, and played a ball which skipped across the front of goal.
Four minutes later, Barmby again made space for himself in the box by dancing around defenders, before laying off the ball to forward Foster Langsdorf. Langsdorf, normally composed and clinical in front of net, scuffed the shot with his weaker left foot.
T2 would level the match early in the second half. Langsdorf was taken down in 18-yard-box and awarded a penalty kick. The former Stanford standout converted the penalty himself in the 49th minute for his team leading sixth goal of the season.
The goal was not enough to secure a point for Portland. OKC defender Christian Ibeagha headed home a corner for the winning goal in the 62nd minute.
Though T2 would not find an equalizer, they came close twice late in the match. In the 90th minute, left back Marco Farfan picked out Langsdorf with cross. The forward’s headed effort was easily corralled by OKC goalkeeper Matt Van Oekel. Two minutes in to stoppage time, midfielder Renzo Zambrano hit a skipping shot from just outside the box which barely missed wide of goal.
T2 next play Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC at Merlo Field on Sunday, June 17.
T2
USL
