T2 head home confident after 3-0 win over OKC Energy FC

Photo Credit: Steve Christy/Energy FC

T2 3- Oklahoma City Energy FC 0

Portland Timbers 2 (2-2-1, 7pts) finished their season opening road trip with a 3-0 victory over Oklahoma City Energy FC (1-4-0, 3pts).

With Providence Park undergoing stadium expansion, T2’s 2018 season started with five away games, the final three coming in eight days. After Saturday’s result, Portland returns home with a 2-2-1 record, earning seven points, and maintaining three clean sheets.

Forward Augustine Williams may not have scored against Energy FC, but he continued his good run of form assisting on two T2 goals.

Chances were limited in the first half until the 32^nd minute, when a searching long ball found Energy FC winger Jaime Siaj one-on-one with T2 goalkeeper Kendall McIntosh. Siaj squandered the opportunity, scuffing his strike, allowing defender Modou Jadama to clear the ball into touch.

T2 would find the lead two minutes later when forward Augustine Williams hit a cross from the end line, picking out an unmarked Foster Langsdorf, who slotted the ball home for his first professional goal.

Siaj had a chance in the 37^th minute to make up for his earlier wasted opportunity. The winger was again played in behind on a through ball, he shot from a difficult angle, sending the ball ricocheting off the far post. Siaj continued to pop up in dangerous spots, creating opportunities for OKC. In the 52^nd minute, the Spaniard found himself on the end of a corner but was unable to head the ball on frame.

Portland would put the match out of reach in the 54^th minute. Williams flicked the ball into the path of a surging Victor Arboleda, who beat OKC goalkeeper Matt Van Oekel, scoring his second goal of the season.

Vytas, a Portland Timbers player playing with T2 while he recovers from injury, came off injured in the 59^th minute. The Lithuanian left back was replaced by 6’5” defender Lamar Batista.

In the 84^th minute, T2 would extend their lead to three. Portland was awarded a penalty kick after forward Langsdorf was brought down in the box. Batista, an Oklahoma native, stepped to the spot and converted, scoring his first professional goal in front of friends, family, and presumably envious childhood rivals.

Portland head back to The City of Roses for their home opener at Merlo Field on Wednesday, April 18 against Rio Grande Valley FC Toros.