Sporting KC winning streak snapped in 1-0 defeat at Portland Timbers

JELD-WEN Field | Portland, Oregon
Attendance: 20,438
Weather: Clear, 72 degrees
Video: Match Highlights

Sporting Kansas City: Jimmy Nielsen©; Chance Myers, Matt Besler, Aurelien Collin, Seth Sinovic; Julio Cesar (Paulo Nagamura 76), Roger Espinoza, Graham Zusi; Kei Kamara, C.J. Sapong, Bobby Convey (Teal Bunbury 71)

Subs not used: Jon Kempin,Michael Harrington, Lawrence Olum, Luke Sassano, Jacob Peterson

Portland Timbers: Troy Perkins; Steve Purdy (Freddie Braun 78), Hanyer Mosquera, Eric Brunner, Mike Chabala; Darlington Nagbe (Franck Songo’o 89), Jack Jewsbury©, Lovel Palmer, Diego Chara; Jorge Perlaza (Eric Alexander 84), Kris Boyd

Subs not used: Brian Rowe, Brent Richards, Bright Dike, Andrew Jean-Baptiste

Misconduct Summary:

POR – Steve Purdy (caution; reckless foul) 22
POR – Lovel Palmer (caution; reckless foul) 44
KC – Aurelien Collin (caution; reckless foul) 66
POR – Kris Boyd (caution; reckless foul) 81
KC – Matt Besler (caution; tactical foul) 88
POR – Diego Chara (caution; delaying a restart) 94+

Scoring Summary:
POR – Chance Myers (Own Goal) 41

Sporting Kansas City had their club record seven-match winning streak snapped on Saturday, as the team dropped a 1-0 result away to the Portland Timbers at JELD-WEN Field in Portland. A first half own goal from Chance Myers was enough to give Portland the victory as Sporting Kansas City were held without a goal of their own for the first time during the 2012 season.

Sporting Kansas City forward C.J. Sapong created the first chance of the match, spinning beyond Portland centerback Hanyer Mosquera to get to the byline before cutting a pass back towards the top of the area. Sapong’s pass found fellow forward Kei Kamara near the penalty spot, but Kamara’s left-footed effort was saved well by Timbers goalkeeper Troy Perkins, who collapsed quickly down to his left to smother the effort.

Midfielder Graham Zusi nearly put Sporting Kansas City in front in the 23rd minute from a set piece situation. Standing over a free kick on the left, Zusi curled a right-footed effort towards the back post that nearly made its way past Perkins and into the far corner.

Former Sporting Kansas City midfielder Jack Jewsbury was at the end of Portland’s first chance of the evening in the 26th minute. Sporting Kansas City forward Bobby Convey was dispossessed in the team’s defensive third before Jewsbury stabbed a shot through a cluster of bodies that was caught by Sporting Kansas City goalkeeper Jimmy Nielsen.

Less than a minute later, Myers almost broke the deadlock, collecting a cross from Roger Espinoza at the back post before taking a touch into the area and blazing ashot over the bar.

In the 42nd minute, Portland went in front courtesy of an own goal from Myers. Breakingthrough the midfield, Timbers midfielder Diego Chara played forward Kris Boyd into the channel down the right. Boyd sent a cross toward the back post that was pursued by both Myers and Julio Cesar, but the two collided as the ball was headed by Myers past Nielsen to give Portland the lead.

Convey had a low shot blocked away by Timbers defender Mike Chabala just a minute later, but Sporting Kansas City still went into halftime trailing for the first time during the 2012 season.

Boyd could have extended the Timbers lead in the 47th minute. Released in behind the Sporting Kansas City backline, Chara laid a pass across the top of the area that appeared to be intended for Timbers forward Jorge Perlaza. Perlaza let the ball run beyond him, however, and Boyd’s left-footed shot was blocked over the crossbar by a diving Nielsen.

Espinoza was able to let fly an effort from long range in the 63^rd minute, but his left-footed strike sailed just over the bar as Sporting Kansas City continued to search for an equalizer.

Six minutes later, Chara was again at the center of a quality chance for Portland. Chasing down a long ball out of the back, Chara cut pas Sporting Kansas City defender Seth Sinovic before laying a pass to the top of the area for Jewsbury. Jewsbury struck his shot first time, but it was blocked away by Collin for a corner.

Sporting Kansas City created one more chance before the final whistle as a Matt Besler throw-in wreaked havoc in the Portland area. Challenging at the near post, substitute forward Teal Bunbury forced Perkins to misplay the ball as it slipped through his hands and was blocked off the line by Mosquera.

That chance was the last that Sporting Kansas City would see on the night, as the club's record receives its first blemish and now stands at 7-1-0 on the year.

Sporting KC will enjoy a week off from MLS action before hosting the Montreal Impact on Saturday, May 5 at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park. Tickets are available on Ticketmaster.com or at the LSP Box Offices.

FAST FACTS:

• With the loss, Sporting Kansas City is 7-1-0 in 2012 and maintains an 11-point lead in first place in the Eastern Conference.
• The loss marks the 200th loss in club history.  Sporting Kansas City’s all-time record falls to 201-200-100 and 65-128-57 on the road in the team’s 17-year history.
• The loss ended Sporting Kansas City’s streak of consecutive wins in regulation to start a season at seven. The only other team to go undefeated for that long to start a season was the LA Galaxy in 1996 when they won eight straight matches in regulation to start the season.
• Sporting KC is 3-1-0 on the road in 2012.
• Sporting Kansas City is 35-27-11 all-time in the month of April.
• Sporting Kansas City dropped their first points against the Timbers since they joined Major League Soccer in 2011 and the team's all-time record against Portland falls to 2-1-0 after the loss.
• Sporting Kansas City defender Chance Myers was credited with an own goal in the 41st minute. 
• The own goal was the first own goal conceded by Sporting Kansas City since April 9, 2008 against the New England Revolution. Ironically, the own goal in 2008 was scored by Jack Jewsbury who played eight seasons with KC before being traded to Portland.
• Myers own goal broke a 128-game streak without conceding an own goal during the MLS regular season.
• Myers own goal makes two straight games for Sporting Kansas City that an own goal was recorded as the game-winner. In their midweek game at Vancouver, Martin Bonjour scored a 51st minute own goal past Joe Cannon.
• Saturday marks the first time sporting Kansas City has trailed at halftime in 2012.
• Aurelien Collin received a yellow card in his second straight match on Saturday. Fellow centerback Matt Besler received his first caution of 2012.
• Sporting Kansas City is 6-1-0 when wearing Sporting blue. 
• Saturday’s match marks the second consecutive time Sporting Kansas City has played on turf during the 2012 season.
• Kei Kamara leads all MLS players in shots in 2012 with 40 and shots on goal with 19 at the conclusion of Saturday's match.
• Jimmy Nielsen made two saves in tonight’s match.
• Sporting Kansas City outshot Portland 16-12.
• Sporting Kansas City is 5-1-0 against Western Conference opponents and Saturday was the sixth of six straight matches against Western Conference teams for Sporting Kansas City.
• Sporting Kansas City leads the League with 52 corner kicks in 2012.
• Sporting Kansas City’s loss to Portland Timbers ended the club’s all-time record for longest regular season winning streak in regulation at nine games, dating back to 2011. The only other time the team had won seven consecutive regular season matches came in 1997 during the MLS shootout era.
• Sporting Kansas City lost for the first time since the Eastern Conference Championship in the 2011 MLS Cup Playoffs. Moreover, the loss was the first in the regular season since a 1-0 loss at Real Salt Lake on September 17, 2011.
• Those two matches were also the last time Sporting Kansas City was shutout by an MLS opponent.

QUOTES:

Post-game reaction from tonight’s match between Sporting Kansas City and Portland Timbers is now available on SportingKC.com, including comments from players and managers.