Agada’s scoring binge continues with 2 more goals as Sporting KC routs Portland Timbers

Sporting Kansas City took the field at Children’s Mercy Park on Sunday evening with a shot at exacting some revenge against a Portland Timbers club that beat them 7-2 earlier this season.

Willy Agada and Erik Thommy, acquired by Sporting KC during this summer’s transfer window, made sure the home side didn’t let that opportunity slip away: Agada scored twice and Thommy once as Sporting KC routed the Timbers 4-1.

Agada, humble as always, credited those who have been setting up his chances to score now five goals in the last three games.

“They’re the ones cooking, always,” Agada said. “I’m just eating.”

For the third match in a row, Sporting KC (7-15-5) opened up a three-goal lead, with all three goals coming in an 11-minute span. And this time, that lead wouldn’t slip away.

“I think we did another great first half, and in the second half, I think we did better than the last game,” said defender Andreu Fontas, who scored his second goal in as many weeks. “We didn’t drop off that much, we were more confident, (and) we tried to have our chances too, and we scored another goal and that made the difference.”

Agada got the party started in the 31st minute, lighting off a stretch in which Fontas scored on a sweet finish off a corner kick and Erik Thommy landed a brilliant strike on a layoff from Agada.

Both Thommy and Agada had been involved in six of Sporting’s seven goals going into the match. They were again directly involved in three of four on Sunday, and Fontas’ goal came from a sequence started by Thommy’s corner.

“It’s like I said before if you look at the two guys that we added in the summertime, it was the two positions that we have two guys that are out at the moment,” Sporting KC manager Peter Vermes said. “Hopefully, for the future, it also makes us incredibly strong going forward.”

Sporting has been scoring goals in bunches lately, but the team’s second-half performances have been lackluster. Portland knew that and jumped on KC at the start of the second half, sending a barrage of shots on target. Sporting KC goalkeeper John Pulskamp made three massive stops inside the first five minutes.

“As a keeper, you could always sense the moment when it’s really important to come up with some plays,” Vermes said. “Obviously, the first 10 to 15 minutes of that second half it was crucial that we didn’t concede a goal. Can’t let the other team have hope.”

Sporting KC’s second-half effort Sunday drew Vermes’ praise.

“We were getting out, not letting the other team play as much,” he said. “They also changed formation. I think one of the things in this game is that when you can get the other team to change the way that they play, you’ve won something and I think the first half proved that.”

But after that, Sporting began to take control of the match again. Agada cemented his brace in the 75th minute off a beautiful pass from Ben Sweat.

Portland recorded a 90th-minute consolation goal courtesy of Sebastian Blanco, but it wasn’t enough. Sporting climbed out of last place in Major League Soccer with the victory, four points clear of DC United despite DC holding a game in hand.

Sporting remains eight points away from a playoff spot with seven matches to play and stays home for its next match, too: Saturday at 7:30 p.m. against the San Jose Earthquakes.

Making the playoffs may be unlikely, but hope isn’t yet lost in the Sporting KC locker room.

“Why not?” Agada said. “It’s a race. We keep pushing until the end. We have great belief that we will make the playoffs. Why not?”