Sporting blows three-goal lead, settles for Sunday draw with Portland

Defender Eric Miller made a memorable mark on Sunday’s match as he scored his first career goal, helping the Portland Timbers stage a remarkable comeback from a three-goal deficit to secure a thrilling 3-3 draw against Sporting Kansas City.

The Portland side, amidst a challenging run of away fixtures, managed to halt a three-match losing streak with this hard-fought draw.

Sporting KC took an early lead in the 13th minute when Willy Agada struck a superb left-footed shot from outside the box into the top left corner of the net, notching his second goal of the season.

Expanding their lead, Sporting KC found the net again in the 38th minute when defender Dany Rosero headed in a corner kick delivered by Memo Rodríguez, securing his second goal of the campaign.

Just before halftime, Agada capitalized on a headed pass from Robert Voloder to extend Sporting KC’s lead to 3-0, burying a right-footed shot from close range into the bottom left corner.

Portland mounted a remarkable second-half comeback, pulling within a goal within two minutes. Evander converted a penalty kick in the 64th minute, followed by Felipe Mora scoring his second goal of the season in the 66th minute with an assist from Jonathan Rodríguez.

Mora then played a crucial role in setting up Evander’s third goal of the season via a foul drawn on Tim Leibold. Evander converted the subsequent penalty kick in the 69th minute, narrowing the deficit to one goal.

Eric Miller, making significant contributions despite his journey through various clubs, leveled the score for the Timbers in the 81st minute with a right-footed shot from the right side of the box into the center of the net.

Sporting KC goalkeeper Tim Melia made five saves, while Maxime Crépeau saved three shots for the Timbers.

Despite the thrilling draw, Sporting KC missed an opportunity to climb into second place in the Western Conference. Meanwhile, Portland will look to build on this momentum as they return home to face Los Angeles FC, while Sporting KC prepares to host Inter Miami in the upcoming fixtures.