Portland Timbers 2 Season Opener vs. Swope Park Rangers [5:30]

The Portland Timbers' USL side, Portland Timbers 2, open their season tonight. T2 are in Kansas City, MO and set to take on the Swope Park Rangers -- Sporting Kansas City's new USL side -- to kick off 2016.

For the season opener, T2 will field a mixed side of loanees from the first team -- including players on the edge of the eighteen like Taylor Peay and Neco Brett -- and players signed specifically to the T2 roster -- like 2015 USL Rookie of the Year Kharlton Belmar.

It is hard to say whether T2 will be a winning side this year or simply a team full of potential talents being built up to one day make the jump to the first team. Either way, their matches seem likely to be exciting with the likes of Belgian youngster Dylan Damraoui showing off his skills (and hairdo) in the midfield.

Season preview: "T2 are headed into their second season stocked with young and interesting talent, any piece of which could potentially pan out in a big way. Following on the back of a rocky first season that saw the team throw caution into the wind in each match, tying only two games all season, T2 will be looking to put together a more cohesive side for 2016, better balancing the need for player development with the urge to win."

Watch it on: Streaming on Timbers.com

Kickoff: 5:30 p.m. PT at Swope Soccer Village in Kansas City, MO

Portland Timbers 2: Finished in 8th place in the USL Western Conference

Swope Park Rangers: Did not exist in 2015