On a six-game unbeaten streak that includes at least one point in each of their last three road games, the Portland Timbers will be out to pick up more trinkets from their travels on Sunday.
The Timbers (4-2-3, 15 points) face the Los Angeles Galaxy in Carson, Calif., which gives them the chance to extend their unbeaten streak against the same opponent as when it began — with a 1-1 draw March 16 in Portland.
Since that tie, Portland has gone 3-0-3 with at least three goals in four of those games.
They earned a 3-3 draw April 19 at home against Los Angeles FC when Felipe Mora scored two goals to tie him with Antony for most on the team this season with four. The Timbers were closing in on a victory when they gave up a score from the penalty spot in the 90th minute.
“It was a high-level, brilliant game of football,” Timbers head coach Phil Neville said afterward before bemoaning the fact that he received a yellow card and LAFC head coach Steve Cherundolo was handed a red card late in the game. “I think both sets of players should be incredibly proud of that performance from a player’s point of view.”
Neville was fined this week for his criticism of game officials when he said Cherundolo’s red card was “a disgrace” and that his yellow was from referees who “didn’t do us any favors, that never done us any favors.”
The Galaxy (0-6-3, 3 points) have been unable to do themselves any favors in a dreadful season that has looked nothing like their championship run of a year ago.
The club’s latest defeat was a 1-0 decision on the road against Austin FC when there was, at last, a little fight late in the game when tempers flared in a confrontation among multiple players from both teams. The Galaxy’s Eriq Zavaleta, Joseph Paintsil and Matheus Nascimento were fined after the incident.
“There’s plenty that we can improve upon to improve our margins and there’s plenty of things to talk about in terms of the overall game,” said head coach Greg Vanney, who made his 400th appearance as a Galaxy player and coach last week. “But the game sort of comes down to key moments and chances … and we didn’t execute.”
Los Angeles has six goals this season, the second fewest in the Western Conference. The team’s 16 goals allowed are third-most in the conference. Expected to be the main offensive contributors, Gabriel Pec, Marco Reus and Paintsil have combined for just one goal.
–Field Level Media
