With new head coach Giovanni Savarese at the helm, the Portland Timbers will kick off the 2018 MLS season facing the LA Galaxy at the Stubhub Center (7pm PT, FS1). Here are five numbers to know for #LAvPOR in a special First Kick edition of Quick Strikes.
2 For the second consecutive season, Portland will face the LA Galaxy in its road opener. The Timbers defeated the Galaxy in last year's tilt by a 1-0 scoreline with Diego Chara scoring the lone goal.
5 Reigning Landon Donovan MLS MVP Diego Valeri has had success when facing the Galaxy. Valeri's five assists against the club are his third-highest total versus any opponent and the midfielder has scored or assisted in seven of his last nine matches against LA.
112 Forward Fanendo Adi has played 112 regular-season matches for Portland, which is the third-most among current Portland players behind only Chara and Valeri. With his next match played, Adi will move into the top-15 in the club's all-era games played list, moving into a tie with USL-era player Lee Morrison.
16 Sunday's match will be the 16th time that the Timbers have played a regular-season match at the StubHub Center, which is the most for any visiting stadium in the club's MLS era. Since the club's founding in 1975, the only away venues Portland has played in more often than StubHub are CenturyLink Field (Seattle) and Swangard Stadium (Burnaby, B.C.).
1996 Savarese has a history with the LA Galaxy, having scored the first goal in the history of the NY/NJ MetroStars (now Red Bulls) against them in LA's first ever match in MLS play on April 13, 1996. Savarese ended his MLS career with two goals against LA, with both being on the road.
