In the first-ever MLS NEXT Pro contest for both sides, Earthquakes II topped the Timbers 2 on the road by a score of 2-0 on Wednesday at Hillsboro Stadium in Hillsboro, Oregon.
A two-goal outburst in the span of three minutes in the second half was led by Quakes II midfielders Nathan Scott and Eduardo Blancas and made up for a dominant but scoreless first half where Quakes II came up empty-handed despite putting up six shots.
Blancas broke the deadlock in the 66th minute when T2 defender Carlos Vivas was called for a foul in the box. The 20-year-old made no mistake with a right-footed Panenka from the spot to open his MLS NEXT Pro account in style.
Scott slammed the door shut moments later in the 69th minute when Jerry Ayon found him in the middle of the box for a clean right-footed shot at close range.
The decisive action followed a nervy first half that saw both sides on the brink of danger, and Earthquakes II goalkeeper Emmanuel Ochoa came up big in the 28th minute, thwarting a point-blank chance from Gerardo Duran to keep the match scoreless.
In the second half, Quakes II picked up where it left off and took control of the play rather quickly and eventually saw those efforts reflected on the scoreboard.
Earthquakes II head coach Alex Covelo should walk away liking plenty of what he saw from his men in their season opener. Of course, Blancas and Scott go down as the heroes for finding the goals, but the Quakes II attack was robust throughout the evening.
Forwards Max Arfsten and Diego Otoya offered dangerous looks in the first half but found themselves just off the mark in crucial opportunities. The final shot tally ended 13-4 in favor of the visitors.
The dominant result is even more impressive considering T2 started six Timbers first-team players, and Quakes II were not only able to keep them off the board, but quiet throughout the evening. The offensive statistics were also complemented with a 61% possession clip and 89% passing accuracy rate.
