The Portland Timbers look to get back on track when they visit Sporting Kansas City on Sunday in Kansas.
The Timbers (4-6-4, 16 points) have hit a dry spell offensively, getting shut out in each of their past two matches after scoring 12 goals in their five previous MLS outings.
Portland is coming off a 1-0 setback to Minnesota United last week, allowing the lone tally in the final minute of second-half stoppage time. It was the second time this month that a last-minute goal cost the club points at home; the Timbers settled for a draw against Austin FC on May 6.
“We managed everything well until the 93rd minute,” coach Giovanni Savarese said after the match.
Evander leads the Timbers with four goals this season, two more than Dairon Asprilla, Franck Boli and Juan Mosquera. Evander also stands atop the club with 29 shot attempts and 11 shots on target. He set up seven chances for teammates in the loss. Since April 22, he’s been directly involved in 40 shots, second only to Thiago Almada (45) in MLS in that stretch.
It’s been a rough season for Sporting Kansas City (2-8-4, 10 points), who reside second to last in the Western Conference and overall in the MLS entering play on Saturday.
After going 2-1-1 to start the month of May, the team fell 4-0 to rival St. Louis City last week for its third loss by at least three goals this season.
The loss marked the ninth time this season that Kansas City has been shut out.
“They came out and physically dominated us in that game,” defender Graham Zusi said Tuesday. “I think we need to get back to doing that to teams. … Pushing all that aside, we still have to compete a little bit better.”
Sporting KC have scored only nine goals through 14 games thus far, fewest in MLS. Johnny Russell and Daniel Salloi lead the way with two apiece.
–Field Level Media
