Timbers set to host reinvigorated Sporting Kansas City

Sporting Kansas City will try to build on its history-making win last week when it pays a Saturday visit to a Portland Timbers side that earned a tough U.S. Open Cup victory in midweek.

Kansas City (3-7-1, 10 points) became the first team in MLS history to earn a regular-season victory despite not taking a single shot in its 1-0 win over the struggling Los Angeles Galaxy, generating the lead through an early own goal.

Interim SKC manager Kerry Zavagnin said the result was a sign of a renewed attitude within the squad, a bit more than a month after the dismissal of Peter Vermes, the longest-tenured manager in MLS.

"It was the collective spirit of the group that defended every action that came their way, and we haven't seen that in a long time," Zavagnin said. "The spirit of the group you could see at the end of the game. They were of course proud to win the game, but even more proud from the defensive aspect when especially a lot of criticism has been made about this team and how they can't defend."

Sporting Kansas City are still tied for worst in the Western Conference with 21 goals allowed, but they have kept two clean sheets and earned three wins in Zavagnin's five games.

Portland (5-3-3, 18 points) earned a dramatic 3-2 road win over the Tacoma Defiance in the fourth round of the U.S. Open Cup on Tuesday.

A 4-1 loss at San Jose last weekend halted Portland's seven-match undefeated run (4-0-3). But the win with a heavily rotated squad at Tacoma, the MLS Next Pro side operated by the rival Seattle Sounders, should boost manager Phil Neville's group ahead of the beginning of a busy league stretch for the Timbers, who visit Real Salt Lake in midweek and then host Seattle's senior team next weekend.

Kevin Kelsy, one of three Timbers players with at least four MLS goals, scored the winner against Tacoma from the penalty spot in second-half stoppage time.

"I think the next game is always the most important," Neville said. "You can start thinking about Seattle now and you get burnt in the next two games. So, the next two games are massively important to us leading into Seattle."

--Field Level Media