Sports

Reeling Red Bulls drop third straight

Maximiliano Urruti scored in each half to rally the Portland Timbers to a 2-1 win on Saturday night at Red Bull arena — extending the Red Bulls’ losing streak to three straight and two in a row at home.

“I’ve been in this league long enough, and I’ve been through a hell of a lot longer and worse spells than we’re in right now,” Red Bulls coach Mike Petke said. “Part of it’s mental. We did enough to win this game. It just didn’t fall.”

Bradley Wright-Phillips put the Red Bulls (3-5-5) ahead in the 36th minute, converting a penalty kick after Pa Mouda Kah was called for bringing down Lloyd Sam.

Sam took a pass from Thierry Henry on the edge of the six and, with Kah on his back, the two jostled. Kah fell backward, pulling Sam on top of him.

It was Wright-Phillips 10th of the season, giving him a share of the league lead with Kansas City’s Dom Dwyer.

The Red Bulls started quickly, getting an Eric Alexander header from the edge of the six that went just high in the third minute.

Wright-Phillips hit the inside of the right post from the middle of the penalty area six minutes later, but the ball caromed back. He had a second chance seconds later when he put in a rebound of Sam’s shot, but he was offside.

Urruti tied it just before halftime and added the winner in the 74th to help Portland (2-3-7) move out of last place in the MLS’s Western Conference. The goals were his fourth and fifth of the season.

The win was the first for Portland in five meetings between the clubs.

“The first goal was key,” Urruti said through a translator. “It kind of brought us back together again. … We had to go into the locker room and come out more aggressive in the second half.”