Around The Northwest - USL League Two Week 7

AROUND THE NORTHWEST

Welcome to Around The Northwest, a weekly breakdown of the Northwest Division. Game recaps and team information on the Highlanders and their division rivals leading into the next week of the USL League Two campaign.

USL League Two Northwest Division Week 7 Matchups

Lane United FC (3-1-3) at Vancouver TSS FC Rovers (2-3-1) – Friday, June 14th   

Lane United FC traveled to Swangard Stadium for their lone match of the weekend, a Friday tilt against Vancouver TSS FC Rovers. The home side opened the scoring just seven minutes into the match after a brilliant offensive play. Jordan Haynes perfect long ball pass over the top found Connor MacMillan in full stride who converted on the chance and put Vancouver up 1-0 in the 7th minute.  The next 15 minutes of play featured some choppy play in the midfield from both teams as they looked for clean possession in the middle third of the field. Rovers’ leading goal scorer Matteo Polisi was awarded a free kick in the 32nd minute, but the dangerous looking shot was blocked by Lane United defender Brady Graff. After 45 minutes of play, the home side held a 1-0 lead.

Down 1-0, Lane United FC took advantage of their opportunities in the opening stages of the second half. Lane United midfielder Soren Jensen took advantage of a couple deflections as he was able to break through past the Rovers’ defenders and slide it home to tie the game at one in the 48th minute. The visiting side came close to taking the lead in the 75th minute, but Sergio Diaz Rincon’s chance rang off the crossbar. The rest of the half saw both teams produce dangerous offensive opportunities, but both goalies were up to the task and kept the game tied. After the final whistle blew, both teams headed to the locker rooms, settling for a 1-1 draw.

Portland Timbers U23 (1-5-1) at Seattle Sounders FC U23 (2-3-2) – Friday, June 14th 

The Timbers came out of the gate looking to capture their second win of the season, and their first against the Seattle side. Portland controlled play in the opening 45 minutes, taking advantage of the counterattack and putting pressure on Sounders’ goalkeeper Nicolas Campuzano. The visiting squad outshot Seattle 5-0 in the first half, but Campuzano turned aside each shot he faced and kept the game scoreless after 45 minutes.

The second half saw the home team push back offensively as they looked to test Mario Sequeira. While the Sounders were able to create a couple of looks in the attacking third, they were unable to solve Sequeira. Neither team was successful in generating persistent pressure on the other team’s defenders, and both goalies were on their game throughout the match. After 90 minutes of play, the game remained scoreless with Campuzano and Sequeira having great showings between the sticks.

Portland Timbers U23 (1-4-1) at Victoria Highlanders FC (3-1-1) – Sunday, June 16th 

The Victoria side started the game with a new look up front with Victory Shumbusho, Daniel Davidson, and Goteh Ntignee, in his first start of the year, leading the offensive attack in the first half. After Ntignee was taken down in the box, the Highlanders were awarded a penalty in the 9th minute. Shumbusho, looking to score on a penalty for the second straight game, fired a shot that was stopped by a diving Trevor Wilson before Davidson cleaned up the rebound for his first goal of the season in the 10th minute. The road team pushed back in the ensuing 15 minutes with a counterattack from a backline that was able to hold off the Highlanders forwards until the 35th minute.

Connor Guilherme’s cross from the right side found Davidson at the top of the box, where the former Rover unleashed a rocket of a one-touch volley that found its way into the back of the net, securing the brace in the 35th minute. The Highlanders weren’t done there as Davidson’s long ball split the defenders and found a wide open Ntignee. Staying just onside, the 17-year-old forward fired the ball between the goalkeeper’s legs in the 38th minute to give the home side a 3-0 lead. Timbers U23 defender Gerardo Lopez was shown a red card after the goal and suddenly the Timbers were down to ten men. Victoria continued to push the offensive tempo as Shumbusho grabbed a turnover, threaded a terrific pass through the defense, and found a wide open Shun Takano in front. Takano made no mistake with his opportunity and fired a shot through the goalkeeper’s legs that found the inside of the far post in the 41st minute of play.

After 45 minutes of play, the Highlanders held a 4-0 lead with all four goals coming from players scoring for the first time this season.

Shumbusho fought off two defenders to the left of the goal before he slid the ball back to an open Ntignee. The Jackson Cup MVP cut across in front of the defender before firing a quick shot past the Timbers’ goalkeeper in the 57th minute. It was the second recorded brace of the game for a Highlanders’ player and gave the home side a 5-0 lead. Fourrier came close to getting the away side on the board in the middle portion of the half, but Norgrove and the Highlanders’ backline were able to turn aside the dangerous offensive chance. In the 70th minute, Sam Fletcher fired a low cross into the box that Elyad Shojaei redirected into the top corner of the net for his second goal of the season. The Highlanders made a pair of substitutions in the latter stages of the half to keep the defense fresh and it showed as they were able to hold down the fort and take the 6-0 win. Simon Norgrove picked up his second clean sheet of the season while making three saves.

Seattle Sounders FC U23 (2-3-3) at Vancouver TSS FC Rover (2-3-2) – Sunday, June 16th

 Sounders U23 traveled to Burnaby, BC to take on Vancouver TSS FC Rovers in a Sunday matinee. Both sides held some possession in the opening 15 minutes but were unable to produce any scoring opportunities from it. Rovers’ ‘keeper Luciano Trasolini turned aside a pair of dangerous opportunities that the Sounders’ forwards produced to keep the game scoreless. Shortly after, Campuzano, playing in his second match of the weekend, denied the Rovers off an offensive rush in the 35th minute. The goalies stole the show in the first half as the game remained scoreless at halftime.

In the 53rd minute of the match, the Sounders took a corner that was misjudged by the Rovers’ defender and resulted in penalty kick for the visiting team after a hard challenge in the box. Seattle’s leading scorer, Pablo De Castro, took the penalty and made no mistake as he converted off the spot for a 1-0 lead in the 54th minute. With the momentum shifting, the Sounders took advantage of a Vancouver mistake and O’Vonte Mullings was the beneficiary as his goal gave the visiting squad a 2-0 lead in the 64th minute. The Rovers’ tried to mount a comeback in the latter stages of the half, but a late red card and Campuzano’s play in goal was enough to ensure the win for Seattle. The Sounders walked away with a 2-0 win and Campuzano picked up the clean sheet, and capped off a weekend that saw the goalkeeper post 180 minutes and give up no goals.

USL League Two Week Seven Team of the Week

Week 7 Power Rankings

USL League Two Week 7 Power Rankings

Week 7 Save Of The Week


Heading Into Week 8

Calgary Foothills FC
Record: 4-2-2 (14 Points)
Division Rank: 1st
Leading Goal Scorer: Oluwatofarati Fakunle (4)
Assist Leader: Cory Bent (2)
Shot Leader: Oluwatofarati Fakunle (13)
Weekend Schedule:  @ Victoria Highlanders FC, June 21st; @ Victoria Highlanders FC, June 23rd



Lane United FC
Record: 3-1-4 (13 Points)
Division Rank: 3rd
Leading Goal Scorer: Charlie Spurr (4)
Assist Leader: Sergio Diaz Rincon (1), Christopher Kalla (1)
Shot Leader: Alejandro Segovia (7), Sergio Diaz Rincon (7)
Weekend Schedule: vs Vancouver TSS FC Rovers, June 21st; @ Seattle Sounders FC U23, June 23rd  


Portland Timbers U23
Record: 1-6-2 (5 Points)
Division Rank: 6th
Leading Goal Scorer: Bertrand Fourrier (2)
Assist Leader: None
Shot Leader: Bertrand Fourrier (7)
Weekend Schedule: vs Vancouver TSS FC Rovers, June 23rd


Seattle Sounders FC U23
Record: 3-3-3 (12 Points)
Division Rank: 4th
Leading Goal Scorer: Pablo de Castro (4)
Assist Leader: RJ Stretch (1), Shakeem Adams (1), O’Vonte Mullings (1)
Shot Leader: Pablo de Castro (13)
Weekend Schedule: vs Lane United FC, June 23rd


Vancouver TSS Rovers FC
Record: 2-4-2 (8 Points)
Division Rank: 5th
Leading Goal Scorer: Matteo Polisi (4)
Assist Leader: David Malamura (3)
Shot Leader: Matteo Polisi (9)
Weekend Schedule: @ Lane United FC, June 21st; @ Portland Timbers U23, June 23rd  


Victoria Highlanders FC
Record: 4-1-1 (13 Points)
Division Rank: 2nd 
Leading Goal Scorer: Daniel Davidson (2), Elyad Shojaei (2), Goteh Ntignee (2), Victory Shumbusho (2)
Assist Leader: Victory Shumbusho (3)
Shot Leader: Shumbusho (13)
Weekend Schedule: vs Calgary Foothills FC, June 21st; vs Calgary Foothills FC, June 23rd  


The Highlanders are back in action on Friday, June 21st at Centennial Stadium for the first game of a weekend double header against defending USL League Two champs Calgary Foothills FC. Kickoff is set for 7:15 p.m. For tickets and more information, please visit www.highlandersfc.ca.