Bad turned to worse for the Portland Timbers on the road at Sporting Kansas City on Sunday, as Portland lost 4-1 to a previously struggling Sporting KC side. Defensive issues and uninspired play on both ends led to Portland’s second consecutive loss and third match in a row without a win.
The Timbers (4-7-4, 16 points) remain in the 9th spot in the Western Conference standings with seven of the eight teams above them (and two directly below them) having a game or more in hand along with a better points per game average. Sporting KC (3-8-4, 13 points), meanwhile, peeked its collective head out of the West gutters with the win.
Sporting KC increased its season goal total (now 13) by more than 44% with the four-goal effort.
Portland did get on the board early, scoring in the eighth minute on a leaning strike by Franck Boli. The ball was played into the box on a header by Claudio Bravo, and it was played back to Boli on a touch by Santiago Moreno.
After the opening goal, the pace of the match slowed on both ends, and Sporting KC dominated possession with some precise passing. Portland, meanwhile, was content to play at a measured pace.
In the 28th minute, Evander and Moreno made a nice run into the box, and Evander protested for a penalty as he claimed to be dragged down in the box. There was no call, and play continued.
With the Timbers slipping up at the back as the first half progressed, Erik Thommy found himself open outside the box for a left-footed strike. It whizzed toward the far corner and in, away from the outstretched hand of Ivacic. Sporting KC tied it, 1-1, and threatened for more.
In the 43rd minute, KC’s second goal was called off by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR). A ball was crossed into the box, and Marinos Tzionis and Dániel Sallói found themselves unmarked. Tzionis’ header was saved, and Sallói put it home on the rebound, but Sallói was offside and the goal that would have made it 2-1 was eventually waved off.
Portland had a quick flurry of chances in first half stoppage time, the first coming on a cross in from Dairon Asprilla that met the head of Boli. But Boli didn’t come close to the target. The second chance was a strike from Boli on the counter, which he was able to slice on-frame before it was saved away.
Yimmi Chará came on for Moreno for Portland in the second half, but he didn’t last long before dealing with an injury. A few minutes in, Chará came up limping and gestured to the sidelines that he pulled something. Chará — who had a serious hamstring injury earlier this season — was replaced after just eight minutes of work by Marvin Loría.
Portland surrendered a dangerous chance in the 61st minute, as Larrys Mabiala turned it over and Sallói fired a shot at Ivacic that was saved well by the Portland keeper.
Sallói finally got his goal in the 66th minute, as halftime substitute Graham Zusi got wide and put a perfect cross in. Sallói streaked through a lackluster Portland back line and scored to make it 2-1.
Just two minutes later in the 68th minute, an own goal by Mabiala as he scrambled to recover on the counter made it 3-1 Sporting KC.
A triple substitution in the 81st minute of Sebastián Blanco, Nathan Fogaça and Jaroslaw Niezgoda was not enough to drag the Timbers back into the match.
Sporting KC added to its advantage in second half stoppage time, making it 4-1 in the 93rd minute as a ball ahead from Roger Espinoza reached a streaking Felipe Hernández, who tapped it in with ease.
Next up: Portland heads up to the Emerald City for a road match at the first-place Seattle Sounders (8-5-2, 26 points). Kickoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Saturday with a live broadcast on FOX and a live stream available for free on the Apple TV app.
— Ryan Clarke, rclarke@oregonian.com, Twitter: @RyanTClarke
