Football
Associated Press 7y

Diego Valeri breaks Portland Timbers goal-scoring record with 52nd strike

Diego Valeri broke Portland Timbers' career goals record and set another team mark by scoring in his fifth straight game, leading his side to a 2-1 victory over Colorado Rapids on Wednesday.

Valeri opened the scoring in the 21st minute, heading a left-wing cross from Vytautas Andriuskevicius past goalkeeper Tim Howard.

The 31-year-old then broke a tie with teammate Fanendo Adi for the club record with 52 goals with his career-high 15th of the season.

"It's an honor. To me, most importantly, the numbers reflect that we have a [good] team. That's the most important for me," Valeri said. "And it's the most important part of the year, so I'm thinking more about that, to be honest, than thinking about numbers. And it made me feel good."

Portland made it 2-0 two minutes later when Darlington Nagbe received a pass from Andriuskevicius just inside the penalty area, turned and chipped a floating shot over Howard and into the top right corner for his third goal of the season.

Colorado scored in the 28th minute when Mohammed Saeid intercepted Portland defender Lawrence Olum's pass, dribbled toward the penalty area, and sent a rolling shot from the top of the area past goalkeeper Jeff Attinella for his first goal this year.

"We didn't do anything wrong as a team on the goal we gave up, other than pass the ball to them," Portland coach Caleb Porter said. "And if that goal doesn't happen, I think it's probably going to be a three, four, five-zero game. I mean, we were absolutely electric the first 25 minutes of the game."

Portland has now won four of its last six to move into a tie for second place in the Western Conference with Sporting Kansas City, a point behind Seattle Sounders. The Timbers have a chance to overtake the Sounders on Sunday.

"We have confidence in the quality of this team. It's a good time, it's a good moment, in [terms of] points and wins," Valeri said. "But we are always confident in the quality of this team, of these players."

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