Sporting KC II Falls 5-2 at Portland Timbers 2

July 26, 2024 – MLS NEXT Pro (MLS NEXT Pro)
Sporting Kansas City II News Release

Sporting Kansas City (7-8-4, 27 points) slipped to a 5-2 defeat against Portland Timbers 2 (5-6-8, 26 points) at Providence Park on Thursday night in MLS NEXT Pro regular season play. After trailing by one at the break, Sporting KC II allowed four goals in the second half before responding with two of their own late in the contest.

Kamron Habibullah scored his eighth goal of the season on a Johann Ortiz assist before Ortiz netted his second professional goal on Carson Klein’s first SKC II assist.

Head coach Benny Feilhaber’s starting XI featured Jacob Molinaro in goal, Klein, Haris Alisah, Leo Christiano and Mason Visconti on the backline with Cielo Tschantret, Ethan Bryant and Sebastian Cruz in the middle. Beto Avila played the nine while Maouloune Goumballe and Roberto Hategan stared on the wing.

Sporting outshot Portland 20-15 and fired just one fewer shot on target. They were unfortunate not to score on several occasions in the match and took the first chance of the night after less than a minute of play. The crack came off Bryant’s right foot from a tough angle and proved to be a simple save from Trey Muse.

Another chance came 120 seconds later following a brilliant dash through the field by Cruz. Last Sunday’s three-time goal contributor opted for a difficult cross to a sprinting Avila and somehow poked the ball through the defense. Avila got a sliding touch on the ball; however, he was unable to roll his effort on frame, pushing it barely past the far post.

The first Timbers 2 take of the evening came in the 18th when a shot from long range sailed high. A well-worked attack yielded a close-range effort from Marvin Loria, but he pulled it wide of the target. Tega Ikoba tallied his first of three goals in the 23rd, heading a backdoor cross into an open net off a Blake Pope cross.

Goumballe got back into the fold straight away, nearly finding the leveler fresh off the kickoff. The winger’s effort was blocked away by former Sporting Kansas City homegrown Kaveh Rad before the ensuing corner was cleared. SKC II remained in the final third for the bulk of the remaining ticks in the first.

Avila cheekily backheeled a pass into Goumballe’s path but Pope slid in to turn the shot away. A minute late Klein flashed wide of the mark from inside the 18 as Kansas City remained all over the goal with nothing to show for it. Portland’s only other forward movement of the first could have been…