Kansas City In Providence Park visit

In the final game of a three-match, seven-day stretch, Sporting Kansas City left Providence Park on Saturday night having accomplished the admirable feat of holding the Portland Timbers scoreless at home for the first time this season, despite seizing upon a scattering of chances to snatch a victory in what instead finished a 0-0 draw.

“I thought we played at times really well being the fact that we were in their place and taking the game to them a little bit.

“The other place I thought we were fantastic was, I thought our balance and discipline when we went forward, not to expose ourselves and be able to deal with [Fanendo] Adi, [Sebastian] Blanco, and [Diego] Valeri, and the way that they kind of start to find those cheating little spaces around the area …

“They tend to, for lack of a better word, cheat a little bit and really take off as soon as they win the ball,” Zusi said.

Sporting goalkeeper Tim Melia made four saves, but was rarely seriously tested in preserving his seventh clean sheet of the season and extending KC’s own unbeaten stretch to six games.

I thought we did a really good job of being balanced and organized and making sure we were aware of Adi when the ball is getting hit in long.