by Brian Turrel
Sporting Kansas City cut down the Portland Timbers 4-1 Sunday evening at Children’s Mercy Park, getting some measure of payback for the 7-2 paddling the Timbers administered when Kansas City visited in May.
Willy Agada scored twice, continuing the torrid offensive output he’s shown since starting with his new club in July. Fellow summer window signee Erik Thommy added another goal. Defender Andreu Fontas scored as well, surprisingly earning two goals in two games after scoring only once in 70 previous appearances with Kansas City.
Graham Zusi set up the opening score in the 31st minute, playing a cross from the right side that bounced dangerously across the front of the Portland goal. It took another high bounce to the far post, falling to Agada who whipped an unstoppable shot into the upper left corner.
In the 40th minute, Fontas doubled the lead by striking home a corner kick that fell into the scrum in front of the Portland goal.
Before the celebratory smoke had cleared from Fontas’s goal, Kansas City scored again. Agada made a run up the middle, picking up a long pass from Zusi and drawing the Portland defense. He played a touch back into the path of Thommy who had a clear lane to the goal and put all his momentum into a scoring blast from 20 yards out.
Agada scored his second of the game, and fifth of his short MLS season, in the 75th minute. Ben Sweat earned an assist with a perfectly executed cross from the left side that intersected Agada’s path just as he surged past the Portland defensive line.
Kansas City goalkeeper Jon Pulskamp deserved the clean sheet that he nearly got, putting on a show in the second half to keep Portland from mounting a comeback.
In the 47th minute, Pulskamp raced off his line to disrupt a Portland breakaway, then scrambled back to the goal line to make a leaping tip save. One minute later, he dived to his left to save a shot from Dairon Asprilla and then alertly smothered the ball that had rolled slightly behind him.
Pulskamp made two more diving stops of Asprilla shots in the 54th and 73rd minutes, but the 21-year-old keeper finally conceded an immaterial goal to Timbers forward Sebastian Blanco in the final minute of regulation.
The re-energized Kansas City offense has now scored three first-half goals in three consecutive matches, the first MLS side to ever do so.
Sporting will be back in action at Children’s Mercy Park next Saturday, facing off with the San Jose Earthquakes at 7:30 p.m.
