MLS Portland Timbers

Timbers Fall to La Galaxy 2-1 at Stubhub Center

Published on March 5, 2018 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Portland Timbers News Release


CARSON, Calif. - Opening the 2018 MLS regular season, the Portland Timbers fell to the LA Galaxy 2-1 before 25,462 fans at the StubHub Center on Sunday night. After conceding two goals in a two-minute span in the first half, the Timbers scored their first goal of the season through midfielder Sebastián Blanco, who converted midway through the second half of Sunday's match to record his first league goal in 2018.

Facing the Galaxy

Sunday's match marked the Timbers' first loss to the Galaxy in their last four contests played at the StubHub Center, dating back to Oct. 18, 2015. Heading into Sunday's game, the Timbers' three-game unbeaten streak at the StubHub Center consisted of two wins and one draw against the Galaxy, including a 1-0 victory in Portland's first away game of the 2017 season.

MLS season openers

The 2-1 result against the Galaxy marked just the second time the Timbers have fallen in a season opener since joining MLS in 2011. Entering Sunday's fixture, the Timbers were unbeaten in six straight (3-0-3) season-opening matches.

By the numbers

With defender Marco Farfan and midfielder Cristhian Paredes both earning the start in Sunday's game, Portland featured two 19-year-olds in the starting lineup for the match against the Galaxy, marking the first time in the Timbers' MLS era that multiple players under the age of 20 have started in a regular-season contest.

Timbers debut

Kicking off the 2018 campaign, multiple players made their MLS debuts for the Timbers, including midfielders Paredes, Andy Polo and Andrés Flores and forward Samuel Armenteros. Earning his first start with the club, Paredes played 84 minutes before exiting the match for Flores. Polo also logged his first start for the Timbers, playing 72 minutes, before making way for Armenteros in the second half.

Key plays

Midway through the first half, the Timbers came close to opening the scoring when Polo created a turnover in the final third, quickly playing the ball into the feet of midfielder Diego Valeri, who laid the ball back into Polo's path inside the 18-yard box. Running onto Valeri's pass, Polo hit a low effort that forced a strong save from goalkeeper David Bingham in the 19th minute of play.

Approaching halftime, the Galaxy managed to score two goals in a two-minute span, with forward Ola Kamara finding the back of the net in the 32nd minute, before midfielder Roman Alessandrini doubled the home side's lead two minutes later.

Twenty-one minutes into the second half, the Timbers managed to cut into the Galaxy's lead when forward Fanendo Adi slipped Blanco into space in the box, with the midfielder driving at the goal, before carefully slotting his effort in between Bingham's legs to provide Portland's first goal of the season in the 66th minute.

Continuing to press forward in the second half, the Timbers came close to leveling the match with six minutes remaining in the game when midfielder David Guzmán struck a powerful free kick from just outside the box, forcing a strong diving save from Bingham in the 84th minute of play.

Notes:

Sebastián Blanco scored the first goal of the season for the Timbers. The goal was the ninth of his Timbers career.

Fanendo Adi recorded his first assist of the season. The assist was the 13th assist of Adi's MLS career.

For the first time in club history, the Timbers started multiple players under the age of 20 in a league match, with 19-year-olds Marco Farfan and Cristhian Paredes both in the starting lineup.

Andy Polo is the first Peruvian to play for the Timbers in the club's 43-year history. Additionally, Paredes is the first Paraguayan to play for the Timbers in club history across all eras (since 1975), while Andrés Flores became the first player from El Salvador to play for the Timbers in the club's MLS era.

Paredes, Polo, Flores and Samuel Armenteros each made their Timbers debuts in the match.

Giovanni Savarese made his MLS head coaching debut, becoming the first Venezuelan-born manager in MLS history.

The Timbers outshot the Galaxy 15-14, including a 7-3 edge in shots on target.

With a goal in Sunday's match, the Timbers have scored in 22 straight regular-season games, dating back to the 2017 campaign. The Timbers have not been held scoreless in a game since May 27, 2017.

Next Game

Next up, the Timbers will travel to face the New York Red Bulls at Red Bull Arena on Saturday, March 10. Beginning at 4 p.m. (Pacific), the match against the Red Bulls will be broadcast live on ROOT SPORTS with local radio broadcasts on 750 AM/102.9 FM The Game (English) and La GranD 1150 AM/93.5 FM (Spanish).

Portland Timbers vs. LA Galaxy (MLS Regular Season)

March 4, 2018 - StubHub Center (Carson, Calif.)

Goals by Half 1 2 F

Portland Timbers 0 1 1

LA Galaxy 2 0 2

Scoring Summary:

LA: Kamara (Feitscher, dos Santos), 32

LA: Alessandrini, 34

POR: Blanco (Adi), 66

Misconduct Summary:

LA: Alessandrini (Caution), 19

POR: Mabiala (Caution), 86

LA: Ciani (Caution), 89

Lineups:

POR: GK Gleeson, D Powell (Valentin, 60), D Mabiala, D Ridgewell ©, D Farfan, M Paredes (Flores, 84), M Guzmán, M Blanco, M Valeri, M Polo (Armenteros, 72), F Adi

Substitutes Not Used: GK McIntosh, D Cascante, M Olum, M Asprilla

TOTAL SHOTS: 15 (Three players tied, 3); SHOTS ON GOAL: 7 (Blanco, 3); FOULS: 14 (Farfan, 5); OFFSIDES: 0; CORNER KICKS: 6; SAVES: 1

LA: GK Bingham, D Ciani, D Feltscher, D Skjelvik, D Cole, M Kitchen, M Boateng (Carrasco, 81) M dos Santos, M dos Santos (Lletget, 72), M Alessandrini (Pontius, 60), F Kamara

Substitutes Not Used: GK vom Steeg, D Steres, D Romney, M Husidic

TOTAL SHOTS: 14 (Alessandrini, 5); SHOTS ON GOAL: 3 (Three players tied, 1); FOULS: 15 (Ciani, Kamara, 3); OFFSIDES: 1; CORNER KICKS: 4; SAVES: 6

Referee: Jair Marrufo

Assistant Referees: Eduardo Mariscal, Jeffrey Greeson

4th Official: Alejandro Mariscal

VAR: Kevin Stott

Attendance: 25,462

Weather: Partly cloudy, 55 degrees

All statistics contained in this box score are unofficial

Check out the Portland Timbers Statistics

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