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OCSC’s Precision Stymies T2

By CHARLIE CORR - charlie.corr@uslsoccer.com, 04/09/17, 12:00AM EDT

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Van Ewijk PK, Pineda strike lift Orange County past Portland


Photo courtesy of Portland Timbers 2

PORTLAND, Ore. – Orange County SC needed the two perfect touches to gain the upper hand Saturday. Jerry van Ewijk’s early penalty kick and Victor Pineda’s game-winning strike from distance paced OCSC to a 2-1 victory against the Portland Timbers 2 at Providence Park. Pineda’s 58th-minute strike found the upper left corner past T2 goalkeeper Kendall McIntosh, while van Ewijk slotted home his ninth-minute PK. Portland’s Augustine Williams headed home a first-half goal, but the host side was unable to hold Orange County at bay in the second half. T2 is 0-4-0 (0 points) this year while Orange County improves to 2-1-0 (6 points). All four of Portland’s losses have been by one goal this season.

Scoring:
9’ – OC – Jerry van Ewijk (penalty)
19’ – POR – Augustine Williams (Kyle Bjornethun)
58’ – OC – Victor Pineda

Three Things That Mattered:

  • 1. Orange County did not exactly dictate the offensive play Saturday, but when presented with an opportunity, the visiting side cashed in. Victor Pineda had the goal of the game when after T2’s Lamar Batista briefly cleared the ball out of the box, Pineda latched onto it, took one touch and from more than 25 yards out ripped a shot into the upper left corner. T2 goalkeeper Kendall McIntosh stretched but had no chance of stopping as Orange County took a 2-1 lead. Early on, OCSC’s Jerry van Ewijk also needed some precision when he converted a PK in the ninth minute. He found the lower left corner, which McIntosh anticipated but could not get a glove on the ball.

  • 2. Portland had some strong buildup in several sequences, including its 19th-minute goal. T2 worked the ball up-field to Kyle Bjornethun who crossed from the left side to find Augustine Williams. Williams found some space just outside the six-yard area and his lunging header went into the net for his second goal of the season. T2’s offense enjoyed approximately 60 percent of the possession, but the club didn’t challenge the net much more than Williams’ first-half tally. Orange County hung on in stoppage time and withstood Portland’s final stretch of pressure.

  • 3. Any budding goalkeeper should just watch a few minutes of a Timbers 2 game because he or she is guaranteed to see a picture-perfect save from Kendall McIntosh. As has been the pattern all season already, McIntosh had some thrilling moments to protect his net. In the 24th minute, with T2’s back line outnumbered 4v2, Jerry van Ewijk was one-on-one against McIntosh and the Portland goalkeeper made himself big with a sliding stop. Then in the 27th minute, Gustavo Villalobos headed the ball toward the lower left of the frame and McIntosh reacted quickly with the diving stop to his right.

USLSoccer.com Man of the Match:
Victor Pineda, Orange County SC –
The former Chicago Fire midfielder had one of the strongest long-distance strikes of Week 3, firing past his former 2013 FIFA U20 World Cup teammate Kendall McIntosh for the winner.

Upcoming Games:
Portland Timbers 2
vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2 – April 16, 5 p.m. ET, Providence Park
Orange County SC at LA Galaxy II – April 22, 10:30 p.m. ET, StubHub Center Track & Field Stadium