The goals came in hot and heavy in Week 2 of USL play, highlighted by a hat trick from Seattle Sounders 2’s Darwin Jones.
The Sounders’ MLS Homegrown signee, loaned to their USL side, led S2 to a 4-0 rout over Cascadia rival, USL-style, Vancouver Whitecaps 2.
Down in Cascadia’s southernmost outpost, Kharlton Belmar led the Portland Timbers 2 to a win in their inaugural USL match Saturday, 3-2 over Real Monarchs.
Here’s a rundown of the rest of the action over the weekend:
Seattle Sounders FC 2 4, Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2 0 (USL recap | highlights | full game replay)
Seattle Sounders 2’s Darwin Jones, on loan from the first team, notched a hat trick Sunday afternoon to lead his team to a 4-0 victory over Vancouver Whitecaps 2 at Seattle’s Starfire Stadium.
Andy Craven picked up his second goal in as many games for S2 for Seattle’s fourth of the night, while goalkeeper Charlie Lyon, another first-team loanee, picked up the shutout.
S2 have now scored eight goals in their first two games of the season, both victories. Whitecaps 2 were held off the scoresheet in their debut USL match.
MLS players on loan
SEA: Aaron Long (90), Damion Lowe (90), Charlie Lyon (90), Darwin Jones (71)
VAN: Caleb Clarke (73)
Sounders 2 recap | Whitecaps 2 recap
Portland Timbers 2 3, Real Monarchs SLC 1 (USL recap | highlights | full game replay)
The Portland Timbers 2 made their inaugural USL match a memorable one, getting a brace from forward Kharlton Belmar in a 3-1 victory Saturday at Merlo Field.
Forward Rundell Winchester tallied T2’s other goal, while Coco Navarro scored the lone goal for Real Monarchs.
Belmar, taken by the Timbers in the 2015 SuperDraft out of VCU, though currently signed to the USL squad, opened the scoring with the first goal in the history of T2, the Portland Timbers’ new USL franchise, in front of a near-capacity crowd of 3,667 at the University of Portland facility with a 31st-minute goal. He doubled the lead in the 54th minute, followed three minutes later by Winchester’s goal.
Real Monarchs pulled one back through Navarro’s late goal.
MLS players on loan
POR: Taylor Peay (90), Andy Thoma (90), Nick Besler (90), Schillo Tshuma (77)
RSL: none
LA Galaxy II 2, Sacramento Republic FC 3 (USL recap | highlights | full game replay)
A Rodrigo Lopez stoppage-time winner pushed Sacramento Republic FC to a dramatic, 3-2 victory Saturday over LA Galaxy II at StubHub Center’s Track & Field Stadium in Carson, Calif.
Octavio Guzman converted twice from the penalty spot for Sacramento, while Galaxy II received goals from Daniel Steres and Travis Bowen.
A wild first half saw Steres open the scoring in the ninth minute, before the referee blew two Galaxy II penalties to make the score 2-1 heading into halftime. Bowen equalized in the 67th minute.
Lopez’s winner came on a feed from former Seattle Sounders and D.C. United player David Estrada.
MLS players on loan
LA: Raul Mendiola (90), Jack McBean (31)
Galaxy II recap | Sacramento recap
FC Montreal 0, Toronto FC II 2 (USL recap | highlights)
A first professional goal from Toronto FC II debutante Marcos Nunes and an own goal from FC Montreal’s John Dinkota helped the Reds to a 2-0 road victory, the team’s first league win in the USL version of the 401 Derby.
Nunes opened his account in the 37th minute, latching onto a Molham Babouli free kick just outside the area. The team added to the lead the 71st minute when substitute Raheem Thorpe’s shot took a deflection off Dinkota for an insurance goal that sealed a historic win for the club.
MLS players on loan
TOR: Alex Bono (90), Manny Aparicio (68)
MTL: none
FC Montreal recap | Toronto FC II recap
This week's games
Weds., April 1 - Austin Aztex vs. Vancouver Whitecaps 2, 9pm ET
Thurs., April 2 - Tulsa Roughnecks FC vs. Saint Louis FC, 8pm ET
Thurs., April 2 - Portland Timbers 2 vs. Sacramento Republic FC, 10pm ET
Thurs., April 2 - LA Galaxy II vs. Arizona United SC, 10:30pm ET
Fri., April 3 - Wilmington Hammerheads FC vs. Charlotte Independence, 7pm ET
Sat., April 4 - Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC vs. OKC Energy FC, 3pm ET
Sat., April 4 - New York Red Bulls II vs. Toronto FC II, 3:30pm ET
Sat., April 4 - Richmond Kickers vs. Louisville City FC, 5pm ET
Sat., April 4 - Pittsburgh Riverhounds vs. Rochester Rhinos, 7pm ET
Sat., April 4 - Charleston Battery vs. Harrisburg City Islanders, 7:30pm ET
Sat., April 4 - Tulsa Roughnecks FC vs. Austin Aztex, 8pm ET
Every game of the 2015 USL season will be streamed live on team Youtube channels. For highlights, visit the USL's official Youtube channel.
