Little about this match was pretty, except for the Portland Timbers' second-half finishing.
A 65th-minute wonder strike from Diego Valeri, along with late insurance goals from Jack Jewsbury and Fanendo Adi, lifted the Timbers a 3-0 victory over Sporting Kansas City on Sunday in a chippy, physical match that saw both sides reduced to 10 men by halftime.
The Timbers' victory avenged last weekend's 1-0 away loss to Sporting and lifted the defending MLS Cup champions back above the red line on 32 points. Sporting stayed on 34 points and are winless in their last 10 road outings.
Sporting gained a man advantage early on, when midfielder Diego Chara saw a straight red in the 12th minute for an off-ball infraction -- smacking Benny Feilhaber in the face after Feilhaber won a possession battle. That 11-on-10 edge only lasted until the 39th minute, though, as Sporting saw defensive mid Soni Mustivar sent off for a hard open-field challenge on Valeri.
After Sporting missed several late chances to equalize, Jewsbury struck in the 87th minute and Adi drove in the final nail in the second minute of stoppage time.
Box Score
- 65' -- POR -- Diego Valeri
- 87' -- POR -- Jack Jewsbury (Darlington Nagbe)
- 90+2' -- POR -- Fanendo Adi
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Three things
GO DIEGO GO: It's been a big week for Diego Valeri, with two match-winning goals in five days. Valeri delivered the stoppage-time decider on Wednesday, when the Timbers opened CONCACAF Champions League play with a 2-1 victory over Salvadoran side CD Dragón, and ignited Portland's second-half surge on Sunday with a gorgeous volley that gave Sporting 'keeper Alec Kann no chance.
NO DIEGO NO: Diego Chara's 12th-minute ejection was his third career red card, making him the first Timbers player to three in that category. He will be suspended for at least one match, Portland's road date with D.C. United on Saturday, and could face additional time off for the violent-conduct ejection.
ONE BACK, TWO OFF: Left back Jimmy Medranda will be available again when Sporting visit FC Dallas on Saturday, but manager Peter Vermes will be down two other players for that match. Soni Mustivar will serve a mandatory red-card suspension, and midfielder Roger Espinoza -- who has been serving as Sporting's captain with center back Matt Besler sidelined by a left knee strain -- will have to sit out on caution accumulation.
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