CONCACAF Champions League Review: Portland, Sporting KC win well

The Portland Timbers and Sporting Kansas City took huge steps towards the CONCACAF Champions League quarter-finals on Tuesday.

On a good day for the MLS sides, both the Timbers and Sporting are top of their respective groups after strong wins.

The Timbers thrashed Guyana’s Alpha United 6-0 at Providence Park, moving three points clear atop Group Five.

Norberto Paparatto scored a second-half brace, while Michael Nanchoff netted once and set up two others.

Jack Jewsbury made it 1-0 in the 11th minute with a neat finish into the bottom corner from close range.

Gaston Fernandez got on the end of a well-weighted Maximiliano Urruti cross from the right to double the lead.

Nanchoff got the Timbers going in the second half, drilling in a finish from the corner of the area in the 49th minute.

His corner was headed in by Paparatto before Fanendo Adi held off his marker and powered in his team’s fifth from close range.

The win was completed when Paparatto headed in another Nanchoff corner in the 87th minute.

Claudio Bieler’s brace helped Sporting cruise to a 3-0 win at home to Real Esteli to take a three-point lead atop Group Two.

Bieler opened the scoring in the 13th minute, tapping in a Seth Sinovic cross from the left.

He should have doubled the lead in the first half, only to miss the chance to strike into an open goal after Graham Zusi’s run down the left.

Bieler won a penalty and converted in the 70th minute before the win was sealed soon after.

Substitute Salvatore Zizzo met a Toni corner and looped his header over goalkeeper Justo Lorente and into the back of the net for Sporting’s third.