{"id":1379,"date":"2015-10-04T03:31:38","date_gmt":"2015-10-04T10:31:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.pdxcite.net\/soccercityusa\/?p=1379"},"modified":"2015-10-04T15:30:45","modified_gmt":"2015-10-04T22:30:45","slug":"timbers-cant-turn-chances-into-goals-fall-1-0-to-sporting-kansas-city","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pdxcite.net\/soccercityusa\/2015\/10\/04\/timbers-cant-turn-chances-into-goals-fall-1-0-to-sporting-kansas-city\/","title":{"rendered":"Timbers can’t turn chances into goals, fall 1-0 to Sporting Kansas City"},"content":{"rendered":"

After a flat performance in their last home match, a 2-0 loss to New York Red Bulls two weeks ago, the Portland\u00a0Timbers put on a better performance on Saturday night against \"skc100315-1024\"Sporting Kansas City, outshooting their opponents 17 to 8, in a match that got more physical and contentious as it went on. \u00a0But Kansas City forward\u00a0Kriszti\u00e1n N\u00e9meth<\/strong> eluded some poor Timbers defense in the 83rd minute and slipped the shot inside the left post for the 1-0 win.<\/p>\n

The first good chance for the Timbers would be in the 27th minute, when Diego Valeri<\/strong>‘s curling shot was tipped wide by a fine save by Tim Melia<\/strong>. \u00a0Darlington Nagbe<\/strong> and Valeri both had good chances in the few minutes before the half, but Melia was up to the task and it was 0-0 at the half.<\/p>\n

The game grew more physical in the second half, but referee Ismail Elfath<\/strong> was inconsistent with his fouls and his cards, and a 66th minute tackle of Timbers forward Lucas Melano<\/strong> in the box that was waved on increased the years-old frustration in the Timbers fans and players that the Timbers simply aren’t given penalties at the rate the rest of the league gets. \u00a0Nagbe’s non-call in Columbus last week was as textbook an example \u00a0as you’ll get as to how far the MLS referees will go in not giving the Timbers penalty kicks.<\/p>\n

Timbers fans who knew the team existed before 2011 (I know there are a few out there) might have had an Alex Nimo moment<\/a>\u00a0(May 13, 2010 vs Baltimore if you want to look it up<\/a>) when Valeri’s frustration with a Kansas City player laying on the touchline and refusing to leave the pitch (move one foot to the right) had him attempt to drag the player off the pitch, causing a short scuffle between the teams.<\/p>\n

But the good scoring chances the Timbers produced, but could not convert into a goal, would come back to bite them when\u00a0Kriszti\u00e1n N\u00e9meth\u00a0<\/strong>eluded three Timbers defenders to slot the winning goal past\u00a0Adam Kwarasey<\/strong> in the 83rd minute. \u00a0The Timbers nearly levelled shortly afterwards when Maximiliano\u00a0Urruti<\/strong>\u00a0made a deep run into the box but slipped his shot just past the far post from an extreme angle.<\/p>\n

The Timbers loss and the San Jose draw last night puts the Timbers out of the playoffs with three matches left to try to change that.<\/p>\n

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