Sporting Kansas City vs. Portland Timbers | MLS Match Preview

MLSsoccer staff

SPORTING KANSAS CITY vs PORTLAND TIMBERS
SPORTING PARK, Kansas City, Kan.
March 21, 2015 (Week 3, MLS Game #23)
7:30 p.m. CT (MLS LIVE; KMCI-38; ROOT-NW)

What is now sure to become a crucial clash in the Western Conference is ahead on Saturday evening as Sporting Kansas City play host to the Portland Timbers on Saturday evening at Sporting Park. Both clubs are looking for their first victory of the new season. Sporting lost for the first time last weekend, a 3-1 defeat at FC Dallas, while the Timbers were hauled back into their second draw of the year, a late 2-2 tie with the LA Galaxy at Providence Park.

The Timbers – who recorded 13 draws a year ago – reached their second draw in as many matches to start 2015 in dramatic fashion, netting a late go-ahead goal before the LA Galaxy scored a stoppage-time equalizer to leave the teams in a 2-2 draw Sunday at Providence Park.
Roger Espinoza scored his first goal in MLS since Aug. 3, 2011, but still saw his Sporting Kansas City go down to a 3-1 defeat at FC Dallas. It’s the second consecutive season SKC has opened the year with a loss and a draw in their first two matches.
The road team has won three of the five meetings all-time in the series, including a 1-0 Sporting victory last year at Providence Park.
The Timbers took a 3-2 victory in the last league meeting between the teams at Sporting Park, in 2013. The Timbers also won a fifth-round match in the U.S. Open Cup last year in Kansas City.

REFEREE: Silviu Petrescu. AR1 (bench): Daniel Belleau; AR2 (opposite): Andrew Bigelow; 4th: Fotis Bazakos
MLS Career: 91 games; FC/gm: 27.5; Y/gm: 3.5; R: 11; pens: 16

DOWNLOAD THE FULL GAME GUIDE (PDF)

SUSPENDED: none
DISABLED LIST: none
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none

HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (5 meetings): Sporting KC 3 wins, 8 goals … Timbers 2 wins, 6 goals … Ties 0
AT KC (2 meetings): Sporting KC 1 win, 5 goals … Timbers 1 win, 4 goals … Ties 0
RETURN MATCHES: 9/9: Portland Timbers vs. Sporting Kansas City, 7:30 p.m. PT; 10/3: Portland Timbers vs. Sporting Kansas City, 7:30 p.m. PT

LAST YEAR (MLS):
6/27: POR 0, KC 1 (Olum 24)

The road team has won three of the five meetings all-time in the series, including a 1-0 Sporting victory last year at Providence Park.
The Timbers took a 3-2 victory in the last league meeting between the teams at Sporting Park, in 2013. The Timbers also won a fifth-round match in the U.S. Open Cup last year in Kansas City.
Coaches record: Peter Vermes vs. POR: P5 W3 L2 D0 … Caleb Porter vs. KC: P2 W1 L1 D0