Each Major League Soccer matchday in 2021, the KeyBank Scouting Report will give you this snapshot of the Portland Timbers’ next opponent. On Saturday, Portland welcomes the LA Galaxy back to Providence Park. The game kicks off at 12:30 p.m. PT and is being broadcast on ABC. Please check here for tickets.
Team Form
LA Galaxy’s only loss this season was on the road to Seattle Sounders FC. Two things to know about that: (a) nobody has beaten Seattle this season, yet — the Timbers’ chief rivals are 5-0-1, so far — and, (b) the Galaxy are now five games into their season. Twelve points in five games give Greg Vanney’s team the second-best record in Major League Soccer.
Photo courtesy LA Galaxy
In attack
This is where those points are being won. Four teams have scored at least 10 goals so far this season. The Galaxy are one. Only the Sounders are averaging more goals per game than LA, and although one player is responsible for most of those goals (see, below), eight different players have registered assists. The goals may be coming through one player, but a lot of teammates are contributing to that success.
Photo courtesy LA Galaxy
The goals come from …
Javier “Chicharito” Hernández is one of the most famous players in Major League Soccer, and the Galaxy’s 2021 hopes seem tied to his success. Coming off a disappointing 2021 where he scored twice in 12 appearances, Hernández is averaging 1.45 goals per 90 minutes through the season’s first month. He’s outscored 15 of the league’s other 26 teams.
Photo courtesy LA Galaxy
… and the goals come through
As we mentioned, above, a lot of Galaxy players are getting assists. Unfortunately for this section, nobody is getting a lot of them. Those eight players who’ve registered assists this season? They’re all tied for the team lead with one!
Look deeper than the assists, though, and Sebastian Lletget stands out. The U.S. international leads the team in key passes (seven) despite being suspended for two of LA’s five games. Of the 87 passes Lletget has completed this season (at an 87 percent clip), 60 have been in the opponent’s half of the field.
Photo courtesy LA Galaxy
Defending
This is where the Galaxy have been vulnerable thus far. Coming off a season where their 46 goals allowed were the second-worst mark in the Western Conference, the Galaxy have already conceded eight times this year. Only one team in the West (Minnesota) has been more generous to their opponents.
Stalwart
Daniel Steres didn't make his full MLS debut until he was 25 years old. Before that, after originally being draft by Chivas USA in 2012 (but never signing), he spent time with the Sounders, the Wilmington Hammerheads and LA Galaxy II. Since signing with LA’s first team before the 2016 season, though, he has become a constant. He’s now the LA’s longest-tenured player, and among current Galaxy players, he is the team’s leader in all-time minutes against the Timbers (900).
Game Notes
- Long-time Timbers defender Jorge Villafaña will be making his return to Providence Park. He is one of three Galaxy players to play every minute so far this season.
- Saturday’s match will be the 30th meeting between the teams, with Portland holding a 12-11-6 edge all-time.
- Giovanni Savarese is 6-3-1 against the Galaxy as Timbers head coach.
- Diego Valeri has nine goals and eight assists in his 20 career appearances versus LA.
- With his next appearance, Jeremy Ebobisse will reach 100 regular-season games played as a Timber.
- Portland will be without Jeff Attinella (right thigh injury), Sebastián Blanco (right thigh strain), Diego Chara (right thigh strain), Steve Clark (left thigh strain), Aljaz Ivacic (athletic pubalgia surgery), Ismaila Jome (left Achilles tendon surgery), Larrys Mabiala (left thigh strain), Jaroslaw Niezgoda (left ACL surgery), and Cristhian Paredes (left thigh strain) on Saturday.
Everything Portland-Galaxy ahead of Saturday's kickoff:
