The club has just two victories on the road this season. Bringing in a nominal-winger could see the Timbers look to Dairon Asprilla for more straightforward flank play and for much of the year he would have been the assumed starter in this situation, but the recent resurgence (although if he ever had an initial-surgence is debatable) of Michael Nanchoff could add a twist here.
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Galaxy goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts will be attempting to stop his former team – Ricketts played for the Timbers from 2012 to 2014. Or will Los Angeles continue to dominate the Timbers and take a step close to a Supporters Shield as well as a potential second consecutive league championship?
Despite heading into halftime down 1-0 after giving up a goal to LA striker Robbie Keane, the Timbers took control from the opening whistle in the second half. Portland offense produced 18 shots and put five of them on target. We were good, we were working hard, and then the second half was a different story. “It was a good showing from our side, we came back thinking we could get a goal and definitely got a second one”. With the loss, LA now just have one win in their last six matches.
Adi made it 1-1 in the 65th minute with a turnaround left-footed strike from the middle of the box. Portland’s midfielder Diego Valeri started the play near the center of the field. Melano delivered a short pass to Adi.
Adi turned with the ball against little opposition, then powered it into the net’s ceiling, and it was 1-1.
He scored four in three meetings with LA this year.
Keane opened the scoring and gave Galaxy a 1-0 half-time lead with a beautifully placed lobbed volley before Portland stormed back and scored five times in the second half, three of which were inside a 10 minute spell. Los Angeles was in trouble but still had time to comeback. The Irish worldwide redirected the cross to the bottom left hand corner with his head.
The Galaxy pushed forward, and Keane made it 3-2 off a Jose Villarreal chip when his glancing header from about 8 yards cleared Edson Buddle and found the netting inside the left post.
“This was obviously a disappointment in the last home game of the season”, Keane said.
“I think it’s a good wakeup call”, defender Omar Gonzalez said.
Then Nagbe eluded a diving Ricketts and slotted the ball into the back of the net to make it 4-2. Maximiliano Urruti capped the scoring in the 90th.
The Galaxy lost for just the second time at home this season as they couldn’t stem the tide of a Timbers attacking outburst in the second half, conceding five goals after the hour mark.
“Soundly beaten, if I could tell you exactly it wouldn’t have happened but let’s give Portland credit”, a frustrated LA’s head coach Bruce Arena said after the defeat. “They thoroughly dominated us, in a physical nature, I’d say, more than anything”. “It wasn’t anything more than their desire to win that game and fight and work was much greater than ours”.
The Reds locked up their first playoff spot in franchise history, but a loss to the Crew in the second game of the week will make it tougher to earn a first-round bye in the postseason.
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Now, with one regular-season game remaining (Sunday at Sporting Kansas City), the Galaxy could conceivably find itself in the one-game, knockout playoff, which pits the third seed of the respective conferences against the sixth and the fourth against the fifth.
