The Portland Timbers qualified for their second MLS Cup in four years with a 3-2 victory of Sporting Kansas City at Children’s Mercy Park. Sebastián Blanco scored a spectacular opening goal for the Timbers, While Diego Valeri added two more to secore the win.
Sporting Kansas City took a 1-0 lead in the 20th minute when a Diego Rubio cross found it’s way across the goalmouth to Dániel Salloi, whose close-in shot was off the legs of Zerek Valentin and into the goals. The hosts had two more goals disallowed (both for offside) before the half, for the 1-0 lead at the break.
The Timbers needed an away goal to take the lead in the two game series after the 0-0 draw in Portland, and they would get that goal in spectacular fashion in the 52nd minute when Sebastián Blanco hit a dipping, knuckling blast from 30 yards out that goalkeeper Tony Melia had no chance at, and suddenly the series advantage had shifted to Portland on away goals with the scores level at 1-1.
Nine minutes later the Timbers would add to that lead when Blanco chipped a pass into the run of Jeremy Ebobisse, who got in behind his defender and just beat the goalkeeper to play a pass to Diego Valeri, who headed in the second Timbers goal of the match, and suddenly the Timbers were effectively up by two goals, as a tie would still send the Timbers through.
Kansas City would make the match interesting though, when in the 81st minute, Sporting’s Gerso Fernandes got to a loose ball in front of the Timbers goal, and slipped a low shot past Jeff Attinella to tie the game at 2-2. At this point the Timbers were still going through, but another home goal would send Kansas City through.
Sporting really never got close to scoring again, even through nine minutes of stoppage time, and near the very end the Timbers would put away the match when Diego Chara found Valeri open on the counter attack, and the Timbers midfielder would beat Melia to end the match with the 3-2 victory.
With the win the Timbers are on to their second MLS Cup final in four years (having won in Columbus in 2015), and now travel to Atlanta, who host because of a better regular season record, with the match being Saturday, December 8 at 5pm Pacific Time.
