Portland Timbers End Sporting KC Perfect Record: Fan Take

The Portland Timbers took out the best team in the MLS on points at Jeld-Wen Field April 21, ending Sporting Kansas City's perfect record in the process. The side no team had beaten yet this year was unable to handle the best defensive effort of the season from the Timbers.

 For the Timbers, the game was a welcome relief, with potential to turn their season back into what was hoped. They stood tall, and responded in the way a strong team does. It's hard to underestimate the importance of what the outcome can mean to a struggling team like Portland.

Own goal headline misses the point

 The opening words of a post on ESPN Soccernet downplays the strong effort Portland and focuses on the fact that the one goal difference came from a Sporting own goal.

 "Kansas City's perfect start to the Major League Soccer season ended with a 1-0 defeat at the lowly Portland Timbers," the line reads. That might sum up the scoring, but it totally misses most of what happened in the game.

 It was the strong play in front of the net of SKC that helped set up the cross in from Timbers forward Kris Boyd that was headed into the net. It was the way the Timbers played perhaps their most physical, aggressive, and well-coordinated defensive game of the season. It was the way a team under fire for lapses, especially in the late minutes of halves, responded with a good 90 minute effort.

Portland defense deserves credit

 The own goal secured three points for the Timbers, but it was the defense and the play of Portland goalkeeper Troy Perkins that kept SKC from scoring. Of course, as a Timbers fan, I was more than happy to see Chance Meyers head the ball into the back of his own net

The Timbers were dealing with injuries to Kalif Alhassan and James Marcelin at midfield, and still had David Horst and Mamadou "Futty" Danso were unavailable on defense. Hanyer Mosquera continued his great play, and Eric Brunner was much better this outing.

 It was a scrappy, gritty game that saw six yellow cards shown, four of them on Portland. The Timbers were quick to support each other when needed and looked like a team very determined to keep their net clear. Hats off to the Rose City side.

 To see the Timbers defend their home pitch so strongly was a welcome sight indeed. It was the kind of a game that can be a springboard for turning their season around and making 2012 a successful campaign.

Jeff Musall has been a fan of the Portland Timbers since he moved to the area in 2001. He is excited about the 2012 season and hopes the winning continues.