MLS LA Galaxy

LA Galaxy Notes and Quotes: LA Galaxy 3, Portland Timbers 2 - Wednesday, September 2, 2020

Published on September 3, 2020 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
LA Galaxy News Release


Scoring Summary:

LA - Efrain Alvarez (Assisted by Sebastian Lletget)15'

LA - Cristian Pavon (Assisted by Nick DePuy) 50'

POR - Felipe Mora

LA - Joe Corona 71'

POR - Diego Valeri (Asissted by Yimmi Chara, Sebastian Blanco) 90'+2

Misconduct Summary:

POR - Pablo Bonilla (caution) 12'

POR - Renzo Zambrano (caution) 48'

LA - Julian Araujo (caution) 63'

Lineups

LA Galaxy: David Bingham; Julian Araujo (Rolf Feltscher 75'), Nick DePuy, Daniel Steres ©, Emiliano Insua; Efrain Alvarez (Emil Cuello 75'), Sebastian Lletget, Perry Kitchen, Joe Corona, Cristian Pavon; Ethan Zubak (Cameron Dunbar 87').

Substitutions not used: Jonathan Klinsmann, Giancarlo Gonzalez, Diedie Traore, Jonathan dos Santos, Kai Koreniuk.

TOTAL SHOTS: 15; SHOTS ON GOAL: 3; FOULS: 17; OFFSIDE: 1; CORNER KICKS: 8; SAVES: 1.

Head Coach: Guillermo Barros Schelotto

Portland Timbers: Jeff Attinella; Pablo Bonilla (Yimmi Chara 78'), Julio Cascante, Bill Tuiloma, Marco Farfan, Renzo Zambrano (Diego Valeri 88'), Cristhian Paredes (Eryk Williamson 56'), Marvin Loria (Jeremy Ebobisse 56'), Tomas Conechny (Sebastian Blanco 56'), Any Polo, Felipe Mora.

Substitutions not used: Steve Clark, Jorge Villafana, Dario Zuparic, Jaroslaw Niezgoda.

TOTAL SHOTS: 17; SHOTS ON GOAL: 7; FOULS: 9; OFFSIDE: 3; CORNER KICKS: 9; SAVES: 4.

Head Coach: Giovanni Savarese

Referee: Joseph Dickerson

Assistant Referees: Jeremy Hanson and Adam Garner

Fourth Official: Kevin Stott

Video Assistant Referee: Alejandro Mariscal

Attendance: --

NOTES:

In their third game of the MLS Regular Season following the MLS is Back Tournament in Orlando, the LA Galaxy defeated the Portland Timbers on the road at Providence Park behind goals from Efrain Alvarez, Cristian Pavon and Sebastian Lletget.

With the win, the Galaxy have now earned three consecutive victories.

With the result, the Galaxy earn their third win of the season and move to 3-3-2 with 11 points.

LA Galaxy captain Daniel Steres made his 100th start as a member of the LA Galaxy Wednesday evening. He has only appeared for LA during his time in MLS.

With a goal tonight, Cristian Pavon now has eight goals and 11 assists in just 19 games for the club, averaging a goal or an assist every game.

LA Galaxy Academy product Efrain Alvarez made his first start of the season and scored his first-ever MLS goal.

Midfielder Joe Corona scored his second career goal for the LA Galaxy, which proved to be the game-winner.

Defender Nick DePuy earned his first career assist.

LA Galaxy Academy product Ethan Zubak made his third-consecutive start after scoring his first MLS goal two weeks ago.

The LA Galaxy were without Javier Hernandez Saturday afternoon as the Galaxy forward continues to recover from a calf injury.

In their next match, the LA Galaxy return home to face LAFC at Dignity Health Sports Park live on UniMas and Spectrum SportsNet.

For more information, visit www.lagalaxy.com.

Postgame Quotes

LA GALAXY HEAD COACH GUILLERMO BARROS SCHELOTTO

On what the team has done well to turn the season around:

"I think when you compare the games in Orlando, maybe even before Orlando against Vancouver and Houston, the team played well, not perfect but the team played better than the rival. We just didn't get the result. Now we are getting really good results, because it's not easy to beat LAFC away and San Jose at home. Or now beating Portland [on the road], I think the team has kept playing well, and now we are getting better results, and this will give us confidence. The level for everyone is getting higher and then the team will play much better as we get better results for that reason. I think we have now gained more confidence and it makes you feel like [our goals are achievable], that anything is possible. I think that it's really good for us and the team is showing it on the field and in every game. I hope that the team can keep in that way for a long time."

On Efrain Alvarez scoring his first MLS goal and how rewarding it was to see him get that goal:

"I think he is a talented player. He has a lot of qualities, but he can't use them if he's unfit, or unfocused. I think in the last two to three months, he has changed. We were talking about that and he had to give the first step. And then he did. And now he is showing everything he has inside. Today he scored a beautiful goal because he [placed the ball where he wanted]. It was magnificent. I am very happy for him. I am very happy for all the players, but sometimes when young players like him, or like [Cameron] Dunbar in the second half which I am sorry that he didn't score when he put the ball on the post, or when [Ethan] Zubak scored against LAFC, I get very happy for them because they are working really hard and that's really good for the team."

On adjustments he had to make in the second half:

"I think we were ready to play. We spoke to the players about how they were feeling after two matches, with not a lot of time between games. We saw the players doing well, so we need to check and decide about the next game but for today I wasn't worried because everyone was ready to run and be ready to play the 90 minutes."

LA GALAXY MIDFIELDER JOE CORONA

On his goal and the play leading up to it:

"I was accompanying the play after a shot and the rebound; it came perfectly for me to take the shot. Thankfully it was a very nice goal and it gave us the win, so I am very happy for that and I am happy I scored, but I am more happy we took the three points for the team. It was a great hustle."

On this season's more balanced attack and how it has helped open up the field and provide opportunities:

"I think throughout the game, we've managed more ways to create opportunities and I think as a team we've been very consistent up top and the chances that we have, we score. We have to keep that going. Defensively, we were also doing a very good job in having the right shape and like I said, when we have the opportunities up top, we take advantage."

On how the backline has changed and is staying compact and keeping the shape:

"One hundred percent, I think the back line, the midfield, even up top, they are all making sacrifices to defend. The backline has been stepping very well into the opponents forwards, so they don't really have that much space, and in the midfield we are trying to stay as compact as much as we can. I think that has helped a lot in being more compact defensively and that way we can transition to the attack as a whole team."

LA GALAXY MIDFIELDER EFRAIN ALVAREZ

On what his goal meant:

"I'm super happy right now. Just getting the start was something that I've been working toward for a while, talking to the staff and working hard every day is something I've been pushing for. Getting my first MLS goal is something I've been looking for all of last year, as well, so it's something I work hard for and I'm happy, but I'm also happy for the team and I'm just keeping focused on winning."

On the buildup to the goal:

"Whenever we play, we find spaces and we know where each other is going to move, so I started reading the play, Sebastian started making the run, Julian started making the run, so everyone builds the play and we were right there at the right time, so that was the key part."

LA GALAXY DEFENDER DANIEL STERES

On reaching 100 starts with the LA Galaxy:

"I actually had no idea, just kind of checked Twitter and got told just now actually. It's pretty cool. It's special. To have played 100 games [as a starter] here for my hometown club is pretty awesome. 100 to start and we'll see how far we can go after that."

On adjustments made at the half knowing Portland had strong substitutions:

"They changed their squad up and we kind of knew at some point we would see some of those guys that usually play. You just have to be ready, be aware of it. It was good we could get that goal early in the second half. We kind of knew they would get those guys out there in 15 or 20 minutes to get the game going and try to put some fresh legs in. It was adjusting; they threw a lot of numbers up against us at the end and didn't make it easy for us. We didn't make it easy on ourselves, but we get out of here with three points."

On if team has raised expectations:

"We're trying to set a bar for us. A lot of us have been saying, just getting back from Orlando, we have to start over, find our identity and build from there. We're not even close to a finished product yet, but we're picking up wins, picking up points. That's the beauty of this league. We're still building, progressing in how we want to play every day... We got the job done and it showed the character this team has and that alone is something we can build off even if we didn't play our best game."

LA GALAXY MIDFIELDER SEBASTIAN LLETGET

On the improvement of offense:

"We're really pleased with our performance these last three games. We definitely came together before the LAFC game and said we needed to do something... We needed to come together and show some character. These last three games, we've shown a lot of that, which more than anything I'm happy about."

On Efrain Alvarez' goal:

"It was good to be part of it. Great finish. Great control. He's a great talent, and I'll always say it: he's got so much raw talent and he can take it anywhere he wants. I'm really happy for him and hope he keeps it going."

On Cristian Pavon's value:

"He has a huge impact. He's our go to. So much ability, so much talent, so much drive. He's a horse up there. He's a nightmare for defenders. More than anything, I think he's also consistent. I think we give him that freedom, as well, in the way we play. Even off the ball; I don't know if people notice that, but he works his butt off. Credit to Cristian, he's doing really well."

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