T2 Stunningly Shoot Down EPL Side Newcastle United FC with Shock and Awe Performance

The USL side for Major League Soccer's Portland Timbers absolutely decimated English Premier League squad Newcastle United FC in a shocking international friendly result.

ZACH DRAPKIN

Photo Courtesy of Brandon Farris/VAVEL USA

Portland Timbers 2

4 3

Newcastle United FC

PORTLAND, OR -- In a highly-unexpected result, the USL's Timbers 2 side more than handled English Premier League club Newcastle to grab a 4-3 win in an international friendly match.

After newly-acquired Georginio Wijnaldum scored the first goal for Newcastle United in the 6th minute, T2 netted four straight scores to take a commanding 4-1 lead from which they would not fall. Fatawu Safiu started off the Timbers' outburst in the 13th to equalize, and Anthony Manning headed home a lobbed-in free kick to take the lead.

Taylor Peay added another goal shortly later to go into half time with a resounding 3-1 lead. As the second half remained scoreless approaching the 70th minute mark, T2 tacked on a fourth with a back post header by Nick Besler.

Rolando Aarons added a mighty speedy brace with goals in less than two minutes, scoring in the 75th and 76th minutes. The first of the two was a thrilling bicycle finish by Aarons that left all fans with a smile on their face.



Sure, Newcastle are just playing in the preseason friendly matches, however this loss to a USL team could take a mental toll. The fact that a team not even in the MLS can dominate this English Premiership team so thoroughly for the entirety of a 90-minute match draws concern in many areas.

Going into the season, the Magpies will need to polish their defense on set pieces and on breakaways, as well as stabilize the energy behind their attack. After a near-relegation finish in the 2014-2015 EPL campaign for Newcastle United FC, the team will have to be extra careful not to blow their shot in the Premier League.

For T2, this win is a huge confidence booster, with a win over a team from the best league on the planet amid their 2015 USL campaign. Portland were very clean, quick, and organized on their noticeable major chances wide, recording two goals off headed crosses, the other two on shot rebounds whose reflexes beat those of Newcastle keepers Karl Darlow and Freddie Woodman.

Evidently very prepared coming into this match, two goals for Portland were from set pieces (one a corner, one a free kick). Late in the game, the team recovered from Aarons' brace to hold on to their 4-3 winning margin.

For Newcastle, Wijnaldum's early goal was a short-lived bright spot, but that was assisted by Aarons in addition to that wonderful brace by Rolando later in the match. The 19 year-old has shown his potential and already-found skill with Newcastle, and soon can become a valuable player for NUFC as he and the team mature.

The signings of Wijnaldum and now Aleksandar Mitrovic are the third and fourth biggest signings in club history, respectively, and the team looks to be taken in a new direction that will please fans and members of the organization with improved success and popularity.

T2 take on Sounders 2 Friday at Starfire, while Newcastle travel back to England to take on Sheffield United on Sunday.