L.A. Galaxy at Timbers
Kickoff: 8:20 p.m. Saturday at Jeld-Wen Field.
TV/radio: NBC Sports Network (Cable Ch. 32/732) / AM 750.
Tickets: www.portlandtimbers.com; 503-553-5555.
Traffic alert: Postgame traffic on I-5 northbound out of Portland might be heavy. Eastbound I-84 out of Portland is closed all weekend.
Where they stand: Portland and Los Angeles are tied with 30 points, third most in the Western Conference, though L.A. has played one more match. The Timbers have 7 wins, 2 losses and 9 ties. Los Angeles has 9 wins, 7 losses and 3 ties.
Head to head: The teams played to a scoreless draw at Los Angeles on June 16. This is the second of three meetings this season, and the first of two at Jeld-Wen Field. The Galaxy leads the all-time series 4-1-1. In their last visit to Portland, one year ago, four goals in a nine-minute span powered the Galaxy to a 5-3 win.
Gold Cup impact: Portland is without captain Will Johnson (Canada) and midfielder Rodney Wallace (Costa Rica). Forward Frédéric Piquionne (Martinique) returned to Portland for Friday’s training session and could be available for the match. Johnson, who missed Canada’s Thursday loss to Panama due to illness, also is back in Portland but will not play today according to coach Caleb Porter. Los Angeles is missing Landon Donovan (USA).
Timbers story: For the first time since March, the Timbers are coming off a loss. Their 15-match unbeaten run ended last weekend with a 1-0 loss at Columbus. Defender Pa Modou Ka cannot play against the Galaxy because of his red card early in the Columbus game. But coach Caleb Porter said this week that the loss did not shake his team’s confidence.
“We’ve been following a clear process, which is preparing for a game and then going and trying to win the game, and then reflecting on it and then getting back to work and not dwelling on it,” Porter said. “So you won’t see a team that’s losing confidence, you’ll see a team that’s maybe a notch more hungry.”
Portland is unbeaten in its last six league games at Jeld-Wen Field, with a 5-0-1 record — all shutouts — as the Timbers take a 570-minute home shutout streak into Saturday’s match.
L.A. story: The Galaxy have won three of their last four matches since battling Portland to a scoreless draw a month ago. Central defender Omar Gonzalez, who was with the U.S. national team when the teams battled on June 16, is back in the Galaxy fold and this week was named to the MLS All-Star team for the third time in his five seasons in MLS. He was named MVP of last season’s MLS Cup. Robbie Keane has seven goals and a league-leading eight assists in 11 league appearances this season. Keane has 25 goals and 18 assists in 43 matches since joining the Galaxy last season. Los Angeles has been awarded a league-high seven penalty kicks this season, converting five.
Porter on L.A.: “The team talent, their coach, their experience, and the fact that they’re the MLS Cup champions back to back, we’re clear underdogs.”
