Portland Timbers Draw at Home Against the LA Galaxy

The Portland Timbers took on the LA Galaxy in a rare afternoon match at Providence Park. The sun broke out behind heavy clouds to light up the field and Timbers Army throughout the match. The Timbers are still struggling with injuries with Evander out today with a hip injury. Portland full back, Juan Mosquera, was also unavailable today due to international duty with Colombia’s men’s team. 

Coach Giovanni Savarese was asked after training this week about preparation for today’s match, “ We’re limited and we have to be creative…we need to be sharp, we need to be pragmatic in the way we play.” Timber’s forward, Diego Gutiérrez, had his first MLS start today in five appearances. 

Portland had a slow start to the first half. David Bingham had a fingertip save in the 6th minute when LA’s Gastón Brugman shot from just outside the box. His second save of the match came three minutes later when he dove on a shot by Tyler Boyd. LA forward, Preston Judd’s shot from the center of the box in the 14th minute hit the far post. 

LA midfielder, Gastón Brugman, won a free kick in the 24th minute off a beautifully executed dive at the top of the box with the foul going to Timber’s captain Diego Chara. Burgman’s shot was saved by Bingham in the center of the goal. Controversy over the foul had the Timbers Army on their feet with some heated chants directed at head referee Chris Penso. The heat intensified when, on the next play, Nathan Fogaça was cut down from behind at the top of LA’s box with no foul called. 

Bingham made his 4th save of the game in the 29th minute on midfielder Riqui Puig’s attempt. Play was aggressive with fouls handed out to both teams for the next ten minutes resulting in Fogaça earning a yellow card for a bad foul in the 38th minute.  The rest of the first half played out physically with LA controlling most of the possession. In 45+2 Santiago Moreno had the only attempt on goal for the Timbers with the assist by Marvin Loría.

Puig earned LA’s first yellow card after the whistle blew to end the half for persistent arguing with Penso. 

The second half started with the same energy that ended the first. Galaxy defender Calegari was shown a yellow card in the 48th minute for a bad foul. Play continued to be chippy with multiple LA players spending time on the ground looking for a call. 

Santiago Moreno’s left footed shot from the right side of the box went high and wide to the left in the 54th minute. He was assisted by Eryk Williamson. A minute later Timbers defender, Pablo Bonilla, went in the books with a yellow card. 

LA had two missed attempts in the 57th minute with Memo Rodríguez’s shot hitting the post and Judd’s shot going wide to the left. Tyler Boyd earned LA’s third yellow card in the 60th, Claudio Bravo earned the Timber’s second yellow in the 66th, and Rodríguez earned LA’s fourth in the 69th minute. 

Portland made their first substitution in the 67th bringing on full back Eric Miller for Bonilla then made two additional substitutions in the 75th. Tega Ikoba came in for Moreno and Jaroslaw Niezgoda for Fogaça. Marvin Loria injured his hamstring in the 78th minute and was later substituted out in the 80th by Justin Rasmussen. 

Galaxy defender Jalen Neal earned the team’s fifth yellow card in the 82nd minute. In the 83rd minute Ikoba’s header from the center of the box was too high. He was assisted by Eryk Williamson with a cross following a set piece situation. 

Niezgoda had a left footed shot from the center of the box that was saved in the center of the goal by LA’s keeper Jonathan Klinsmann in the 89th minute. The Timber’s tried to strike again in the 91+ with Justin Rasmussen shooting from outside the box with a shot that went just a bit too high. In the 90+3 Niezgoda’s header from the center of the box was close, but missed to the right.

During the last play of the game David Bigham pulled his hamstring and had to be assisted off the field by the Timbers training staff. Rasmussen stepped in as keeper until the final whistle blew. The Timbers earned one point from the 0-0 draw.