Match Recap & Highlights: Portland Timbers 7 - 2 Sporting Kansas City

After three consecutive away matches, the Portland Timbers returned to action at Providence Park with a crazy 7-2 win against Sporting Kansas City that saw both sides finish with 10 men.

After a first-half header from Bill Tuiloma, the floodgates opened in the second period, with Sebastian Blanco scoring a brace before assisting Nathan’s first two goal for the club. Marvin Loria and Santiago Moreno would both score after Johnny Russell and Marianos Tzionis pulled two goals back for SKC in what was the Timbers’ most dominant attacking display of the season.

The match saw the return of Aljaz Ivacic, Blanco, and Diego Chara to the starting lineup after injuries, and Dairon Asprilla was restored to the bench after clearing the MLS Health and Safety Protocols. Unfortunately, Jaroslaw Niezgoda’s groin injury sustained in the U.S. Open Cup elimination game against LAFC meant that he would miss the contest, as would Claudio Bravo, and Larrys Mabiala.

• 8’ New Timbers’ striker Nathan, making his MLS debut for the club, nearly produced a ‘26-second moment’ by closing down SKC goalkeeper Tim Melia, who just about got a clearance away.
• 12’ Bill Tuiloma got on the end of an Eryk Williamson free-kick and powered a downward-header past Tim Melia to open the scoring for the Timbers. The goal was Tuiloma’s third in 2022, and brought him level with Niezgoda and Yimmi Chara as the Timbers’ top scorer.

• 16’ Johnny Russell created a dangerous chance for the visitors to equalize, but his cut-back from the end-line produced a shot that was comfortably held by Ivacic.
• 18’ Roger Espinoza was shown the game’s first yellow card of the match for a high-kick against Eryk Williamson.
• 35’ Robert Voloder was shown a yellow card for pulling Yimmi Chara back just outside of the box. The resulting free-kick by Eryk Williamson sailed over everyone and out for a goal kick.
• 44’ Nathan had a huge opportunity to double the Timbers’ lead just before the end of the first half, with Williamson sliding a perfect ball through to him in the box, but the debutant couldn’t get his right-footed past Melia.

Tuiloma’s goal was enough to get the Timbers into the locker room up 1-0 at halftime, but Portland went through large parts of the first-half on the back-foot. At the break, SKC had 57 percent possession, and out-shot the Timbers 6-3, despite both teams managing just two shots on target.

• 46’ Not even a full minute into the second half, Sebastian Blanco scored to give the Timbers a 2-0 lead. Yimmi Chara clipped a ball back to Cristhian Paredes on the edge of the box, and Paredes looped a first-time ball to Blanco, who thrashed a volley past a helpless Melia in net.

• 52’ A few minutes later, Blanco was sent through on goal in acres of space, running half the length of the pitch before cutting the ball back onto his right foot and curling a beauty of a strike past Melia to make it 3-0 to Portland.

• 56’ Nathan would then make it 4-0 to the Timbers after a vintage run and pass from Blanco, who played the former in behind the SKC backline before a smart left-footed shot beat Melia at the near post.

• 57’ Johnny Russell pulled a goal back for SKC right away with a left-footed shot from close range to make the score 4-1.
• 64’ Josecarlos Van Rankin was shown a yellow card for upending an SKC player going for a header.
• 67’ Nathan extended the Timbers’ lead even further after tapping-in a goal-of-the-season worthy team-move that once again saw Blanco turn-provider to put the Timbers up 5-1.

71’ Tega Ikoba came into the match for his first-team debut in place of Nathan, and Santiago Moreno subbed in for Eryk Williamson.

72’ Bill Tuiloma was shown a yellow card for clearing out Khiry Shelton in the middle of the pitch.

75’ Van Rankin was shown a second yellow and sent off for a bad foul with about 15 minutes left to play in the match. From the resulting free kick, SKC pulled another goal back through a header from Marianos Tzionis to make the score 5-2.

77’ Following Van Rankin’s sending off, the Timbers brought on Pablo Bonilla for Blanco to shore up the defense in the final minutes of the game.

78’ This time it was SKC’s turn to have a player sent off following a second yellow, after a foul from Robert Voloder on Tega Ikoba.

83’ The Timbers made their final two substitutions of the match, bringing Zac McGraw and Marvin Loria on in place of Yimmi Chara and Bill Tuiloma.

88’ Marvin Loria made it 6-2 with a left-footed strike into the roof of the net after another excellent team move.

90+2 Moreno put the icing on the cake deep into stoppage time, breaking past the last SKC defender before rounding Melia and sending a right-footed strike into the back of the net.

When all was said and done, the score finished 7-2 to the Timbers. The seven goals are the most the Timbers have scored in a single match in club history.

The Timbers travel to San Jose for their next match on Wednesday, May 18, with kickoff scheduled for 7:30 p.m. PST.