When you’re sitting on the outside of the MLS Cup Playoffs race, it’s usually best to avoid a thrashing against the worst side in your Conference.
However, that’s exactly what the Portland Timbers suffered on Sunday, enduring a 4-1 loss at the hands of Sporting Kansas City, who remain bottom of the West despite this result.
The Timbers were 3-0 down by half-time as, from minutes 31 to 42, SKC found goals from William Agada, Andreu Fontas, and Erik Thommy. Agada made it four in the 75th minute before Sebastian Blanco added a little respect to the scoreline in second-half stoppage time.
Yael Averbuch West hosted none other than Christian Fuchs for the latest episode of Football Americana. The Charlotte FC captain provided insight into the creation of Major League Soccer’s newest expansion team, and bringing European culture into the American side.
It was an utter humiliation for a Portland side that is now five without a win and enduring a two-game losing streak right when they need to win games the most.
“We had an embarrassing first half. I take full responsibility because, ultimately, I’m the one that puts the players on the field. I’m the one that prepares the players to play, and the first half wasn’t to the standard of the Portland Timbers,” head coach Giovanni Savarese said after the match. “If I’m a fan of the Timbers, I would be very disappointed for today. I would be upset.”
Though he is shouldering a large portion of the blame, Savarese did lament the poor work ethic of his team and highlighted that as a particular area where they were outperformed by Kansas City.
“Games like these happen because you don’t put in the work,” he added. “It’s not because of the work that we have to do better defensively. It’s the effort that everyone collectively has to put in… We have seen and shown that when we really want to, we’re capable of doing it.”
The Timbers now sit 10th in the Western Conference, but remain just a point behind the LA Galaxy in seventh ahead of a home clash with arch-rivals the Seattle Sounders on Friday.
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