- Sam Johnson (62')
- Sebastián Blanco (34')
- Diego Valeri (68')
Portland Timbers wins third straight, beats Real Salt Lake
Sebastian Blanco and Diego Valeri scored goals, while goalkeeper Steve Clark saved a first-half penalty shot, as the visiting Portland Timbers extended their winning streak to three games with a 2-1 victory over Real Salt Lake on Saturday.
Valeri's go-ahead goal in the 68th minute came after he collected the rebound when a shot from Blanco was deflected. Valeri scored his second of the season through the legs of both Nick Besler and Donny Toia, and into the lower left corner of the goal.
It was the 70th career MLS goal for Valeri, who also has 71 career assists, as he became just the seventh player in league history to reach 70 in both categories.
Sam Johnson scored a second-half goal for Real Salt Lake, which lost its second consecutive game following a two-game winning streak and fell for the second time in its last three home matches.
Blanco's second of the season came in the 34th minute after his initial right-footed shot was saved by Real Salt Lake goalkeeper Andrew Putna. With the RSL defense flat-footed, Blanco pounced on the rebound and drilled a left-footed shot past the left ear of Putna.
The Timbers defense limited RSL's chances in the second half until Johnson scored in the 62nd minute to tie the score 1-1. After a quick backward flick from Corey Baird, Johnson scored on a toe poke and into the bottom left corner of the goal past Clark.
Clark made six saves in his second consecutive start and victory. His most vital save came in the 26th minute after RSL was awarded a shot from the penalty spot following a hand ball in the box.
Albert Rusnak drilled his penalty shot to the bottom left corner of the goal, but Clark anticipated the direction and made a diving stop.
The Timbers are on a stretch of 12 consecutive road games to start the season as their home stadium is undergoing an $85 million renovation. They were 0-5-1 over their first six games of the season before winning their last three.
Portland still has road games at Vancouver, Houston and Philadelphia remaining before going home for a June 1 match against Los Angeles FC.
Game Information
MLS Standings
| Team | GP | W | D | L | GD | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LA Galaxy | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | +5 | 15 |
| Vancouver Whitecaps | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | +6 | 13 |
| Houston Dynamo FC | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | +2 | 13 |
| Real Salt Lake | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | +3 | 12 |
| Colorado Rapids | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | +1 | 12 |
| LAFC | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | +1 | 11 |
| Minnesota United FC | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | +1 | 11 |
| St. Louis CITY SC | 8 | 2 | 5 | 1 | +1 | 11 |
| Sporting Kansas City | 8 | 2 | 4 | 2 | +1 | 10 |
| Portland Timbers | 8 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 9 |
| Austin FC | 8 | 2 | 3 | 3 | -2 | 9 |
| Seattle Sounders FC | 7 | 1 | 3 | 3 | +2 | 6 |
| FC Dallas | 7 | 1 | 2 | 4 | -4 | 5 |
| San Jose Earthquakes | 8 | 1 | 0 | 7 | -10 | 3 |
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