PORTLAND, Ore. – The Portland Timbers Academy teams played Northwest Division foe Crossfire Premier over the weekend at the adidas Timbers Training Center. The Timbers U-18 Academy came away with a 3-1 win, while the Timbers U-16 Academy had their unbeaten streak snapped in a 3-1 loss.
The Timbers U-18s had three players each score their first goals to help the team earn its second victory of the season. Midfielder James Nosack (Ridgefield, Wash.) converted a first-half penalty kick to put the Timbers U-18s up 1-0 at halftime. Crossfire pulled level in the second half despite playing with only 10 players due to a red card issued to Troy McCarty late in the first half. Timbers U-18s forward Anthony Macchione (Camas, Wash.) then scored the game-winning goal in the 85th minute, breaking the deadlock, and midfielder Bryan Gonzalez (Salem, Ore.) added the insurance goal in second-half stoppage time to secure the 3-1 victory over Crossfire Premier.
With their first multiple-goal performance of the season, the Timbers U-18s improve to 2-3-2 (8pts). The team’s defense currently has the third-best goals-against average (1.57) in the Northwest Division.
The Timbers U-16s suffered their first loss of the season, ending their season-opening unbeaten streak at six matches. Crossfire Premier jumped out to a 2-0 lead by the 36th minute, but defender Peter Prescott (Vancouver, Wash.) was able to pull one back for the Timbers U-16s in the 67th minute to cut the deficit. Crossfire found the back of the net again in the 80th minute to seal the 3-1 win.
The Timbers U-16s are in a three-way tie for third in the Northwest Division for their age group with a 2-1-4 (10pts) record.
The Timbers Academy teams head to California for their next matches, a two-match road trip Nov. 17-18 against Cal Odyssey and the San Jose Earthquakes Academy.
Timbers U-23s players Evans, Sherrod lead comeback victories for college teams
Over the weekend, a pair of Timbers U-23s players – midfielder Steven Evans and forward Mark Sherrod – led key comeback victories for their respective college teams.
Evans (Troutdale, Ore.) assisted the game-tying goal and scored the game-winner to lead the University of Portland to a 2-1 win over West Coast Conference-leader University of San Diego on Sunday. The win ended San Diego’s eight-match winning streak.
For Evans, he scored his 14th goal of the season and is now tied with Timbers U-23s teammate Erik Hurtado at Santa Clara University as the WCC’s leading goal scorer this season.
A brace by Sherrod (Knoxville, Tenn.) led the University of Memphis to a 2-1 win over No. 14 SMU before a national television audience on FOX Soccer on Friday. After heading home the equalizer in the 40th minute, Sherrod converted a penalty kick in the 72nd minute to secure the win, which clinched a berth in the Conference USA tournament for Memphis.
Sherrod scored three goals last week, leading to a pair of Memphis victories, and today was named the C-USA Offensive Player of the Week. He has 12 goals and 28 points on the season, both tied for second in the conference.
