KANSAS CITY, Kan. – Forward Ryan Johnson recorded a goal and an assist and midfielder Rodney Wallace provided the game-winning goal as the Portland Timbers defeated Sporting Kansas City 3-2 on the road at Sporting Park on Saturday evening. The Timbers are unbeaten on the road this season and pushed their MLS club-record unbeaten string to six games overall.
Portland (3-1-4) found a way to spoil Chance Myers' big night and Sporting's (4-3-2) roll-out of its new black third kit with blue argyle trim.
Make that three ways.
Myers recorded the first two goals of his career, including the third-quickest in club history, but the Timbers became the first club this year to hang three on Kansas City in Saturday night's 3-2 victory at Sporting Park.
Portland also set its MLS club record for longest unbeaten streak on the road at five games, dating back to the 2012 season. The Timbers are the only club in MLS that is unbeaten away from home in 2013.
Wallace delivered the game-winner in the 58th minute – just the second second-half goal allowed by Sporting KC this season – after Diego Chara capitalized on a bad exchange in midfield. Chara slotted a through ball to a streaking Wallace, who shrugged off Myers and slipped the ball past Jimmy Nielsen.
That goal capped a series of comebacks in a match that appeared to be in hand for Sporting after the opening minute.
Just 40 seconds into the game, Myers ran onto Matt Besler's long throw-in and headed past Donovan Ricketts for the fastest goal ever at Sporting Park.
That lead didn't hold up long, though. After Jimmy Nielsen had to dive to parry away Wallace's blast, Ryan Johnson headed Diego Valeri's corner kick off Benny Feilhaber's head and into the roof of the net to equalize for the Timbers in the 24th minute.
Myers struck again just five minutes later, tapping the ball home after a long ball from Feilhaber and a short setup pass from center back Aurelien Collin. But in the 33rd, Johnson drove into the area and crossed to Darlington Nagbe. His tap-in was a formality, and the game was knotted at 2-2.
Donovan Ricketts preserved the win by saving Collin's stoppage-time header and then corralling a loose ball on the ensuing corner kick. Sporting lost back-to-back matches for the first time this year and have conceded five times over that span after giving up just three goals in their first seven matches.
Portland next plays on Thursday at home against New England, while Sporting are at home to Chivas USA on May 5.
Steve Brisendine covers Sporting Kansas City for MLSsoccer.com.
Portland Timbers (3-1-4, 13pts) at Sporting Kansas City (4-3-2, 14pts)
April 27, 2013 – Sporting Park (Kansas City, Kan..)
Goals by Half 1 2 F
Portland Timbers 2 1 3
Sporting Kansas City 2 0 2
Scoring Summary
SKC: Myers (Besler), 1
POR: R. Johnson (Valeri), 24
SKC: Myers (Feilhaber, Collin), 29
POR: Nagbe (R. Johnson), 33
POR: Wallace (Chara), 58
Misconduct Summary
SKC: Rosell (Caution), 51
POR: Zemanski (Caution), 79
POR: Wallace (Caution), 90+1
Lineups & Stats
POR: GK Ricketts, D Jewsbury, D Danso (Jean-Baptiste, 71), D Silvestre, D Harrington, M Chara, M Valeri (Piquionne, 78), M Johnson, W. ©, F Nagbe, F Johnson (Zemanski, 72), R., F Wallace
Substitutes Not Used: GK Kocic, D Miller, M Alhassan, F Valencia
TOTAL SHOTS: 12 (Three players, 3); SHOTS ON GOAL: 7 (Wallace, 3); FOULS: 15 (Chara, Danso, 3); OFFSIDES: 8; CORNER KICKS: 4; SAVES: 6
SKC: GK Nielsen, D Myers (Jerome, 90+3), D Besler, D Collin, D Sinovic, M Nagamura, M Rosell, M Feilhaber (Peterson, 61), F Sapong, F Bieler, F Zusi
Substitutes Not Used: GK Kronberg, D Olum, D Opara, M Convey, M Joseph
TOTAL SHOTS: 18 (Collin, 4); SHOTS ON GOAL: 8 (Three players, 2); FOULS: 13 (Four players, 2); OFFSIDES: 1; CORNER KICKS: 5; SAVES: 4
Referee: Hilario Grajeda
Assistant Referees: Fabio Tovar, Chris Strickland
4th Official: Younes Marrakchi
Attendance: 20,186
Time of Game: 1:54
Weather: Cloudy
All statistics contained in this box score are unofficial
