Diego Valeri and Sebastian Blanco each scored and the Portland Timbers beat Real Salt Lake 2-1 on Saturday night at Sandy, Utah, for their third consecutive victory.
Following a 3-3 tie with Colorado to open the season, Portland (3-5-1) lost five in a row before the winning streak.
Valeri gave the Timbers the lead for good in the 68th minute. He tapped it to Sebastian Blanco, whose shot from the center of the area was blocked by Real Salt Lake’s Justen Glad but rolled directly to Valeri, who first-timed a side-netter through the legs of two defenders.
Valeri became the seventh player in MLS history, and the only the only active player, with at least 70 goals and 70 assists.
Blanco ripped a shot from the top of the area between a pair of defenders that was stopped by goalkeeper Andrew Putna but then chased down the rebound and first-timed the finish to make it 1-0 in the 34th minute.
Sam Johnson bounced a sliding roller from the top of the box off the post and into the neat to make it 1-1 in the 62nd.
Real Salt Lake (3-6-1) has lost two games in row and six of its last eight.
TIMBERS 2, REAL SALT LAKE 1
Portland 1 1—2
Real Salt Lake 0 1—1
First half—1, Portland, Blanco, 2, 34th minute.
Second half—2, Real Salt Lake, Johnson, 3 (Baird), 62nd; 3, Portland, Valeri, 2, 68th.
Goalies—Portland, Steve Clark, Jeff Attinella; Real Salt Lake, Andrew Putna, Alex Horwath.
Yellow Cards—Portland, Moreira, 45th. Real Salt Lake, Toia, 48th; Besler, 77th; Herrera, 78th.
A—18,066.
Lineups
Portland—Steve Clark; Larrys Mabiala, Jorge Moreira, Bill Tuiloma, Zarek Valentin; Sebastian Blanco, Diego Chara, Andres Flores (Andy Polo, 60th), Cristhian Paredes, Diego Valeri (Julio Cascante, 86th); Jeremy Ebobisse (Lucas Melano, 83rd).
Real Salt Lake—Andrew Putna; Justen Glad, Aaron Herrera, Nedum Onuoha, Donny Toia (Joao Plata, 86th); Nick Besler (Brooks Lennon, 80th), Sam Johnson, Damir Kreilach, Albert Rusnak, Jefferson Savarino; Corey Baird (Sebastian Saucedo, 71st).
