RECAP | Timbers lose 3-2 to LA Galaxy

Jonathan Rodríguez, Santiago Moreno tally goals for Portland

LOS ANGELES – Jonathan Rodríguez and Santiago Moreno scored second-half goals but the Portland Timbers lost 3-2 on the road to the LA Galaxy Saturday night at Dignity Health Sports Park. Rodríguez scored first for Portland in the 52nd minute, notching his team-leading 12th goal, while Santiago Moreno bagged a goal in the 73rd minute, his sixth of the season. Next week, the Timbers will pause MLS regular season play to open their Leagues Cup 2024 account against Club León on July 28 at Providence Park.

Numbers in the Attack

Jonathan Rodríguez scored his team-leading 12th goal of the season tonight. Santiago Moreno tallied his sixth goal of the season while also recording his 11th assist – a career season-high for Moreno. It marks Moreno’s fifth multi-goal contribution match of the 2024 campaign and a third consecutive match with multiple goal contributions. Evander registered his team-leading 13th assist and leads the team in points with 35 (11G, 13A). The Timbers remain the only team in the league to have three players with 11 or more goals apiece (Rodríguez – 12, Felipe Mora – 11, Evander – 11), and are tied for most of any team in the league with four players with six or more goals alongside LA Galaxy and Philadelphia Union. The Timbers have scored in 22 of 25 matches this season, while registering multiple goals in 20 games. Portland’s 50 goals in the 2024 campaign are tied for second most in the Western Conference, trailing only Real Salt Lake (51), and tied for third most in the league behind Inter Miami CF (56).

Leagues Cup 2024 Campaign

After tonight’s result, Portland will head into next week in eighth place of the Western Conference standings with a 10-9-6 record (36pts). The Timbers are set to open their 2024 Leagues Cup account next week as they host LIGA MX side Club León on Sunday, July 28 at Providence Park. A part of West 5 Group, Portland will also host the Colorado Rapids in the group stage of the international tournament in a midweek matchup on Thursday, August 1.

Matchcenter

Goal-Scoring Plays

LA – Gabriel Pec (Joseph Paintsil, Riqui Puig), 38th minute: Riqui Puig started the play from the midfield when he distributed the ball onto the right side of the wing to find Joseph Paintsil. Paintsil, on his first touch, beat James Pantemis to the ball and sent to the middle of the 18-yard box where Gabriel Pec finished the play with a left-footed shot into the middle of the goal.

LA – Riqui Puig (Joseph Paintsil), 48th minute: Joseph Paintsil took control of a ball on the left side of the wing, dribbled into the box and cut the ball back to Riqui Puig, who sent the ball into the lower right corner of the goal.

POR – Jonathan Rodríguez (Evander, Santiago Moreno), 52nd minute: Evander dribbled towards the top of the 18-yard box and sent the ball to the left side where Jonathan Rodríguez took a left-footed shot on his first touch and slotted the ball into the lower right pocket of the goal.

LA – Joseph Paintsil (Diego Fagundez, John Nelson), 58th minute: Diego Fagundez sent a long ball onto the left side of the field to find Joseph Paintsil, who cut through two Portland defenders and positioned the ball onto his right foot before firing a shot past into the right side of the goal.

POR – Santiago Moreno (Claudio Bravo), 73rd minute: Claudio Bravo slid a ball to Santiago Moreno through the left wing that began Moreno’s breakaway run towards the Galaxy goal. Moreno threaded into the field through three Galaxy players and into the top of the 18-yard box before firing a right-footed shot into the top of the goal.

Notes

• The Timbers (10-9-6, 36pts) are in eighth place in the Western Conference standings.
• Jonathan Rodríguez scored his team-leading 12th goal of the season tonight.
• Santiago Moreno tallied his sixth goal of the season while also recording his 11th assist – a career season-high for Moreno.
• It is Moreno’s fifth multi-goal contribution match of the 2024 campaign and third consecutive match with multiple goal contributions.
• Evander registered his team-leading 13th assist and leads the team in points with 35 (11G, 13A).
• Claudio Bravo recorded his first assist of the season and 10th for the Timbers.
• The Timbers remain the only team in the league with three players with 11 or more goals apiece (Rodríguez – 12, Mora – 11, Evander – 11).
• Portland is tied for most of any team in the league with four players with six or more goals alongside LA Galaxy and Philadelphia Union.
• The Timbers have scored in 22 of 25 matches this season, while registering multiple goals in 20 games.
• Portland’s 50 goals in the 2024 campaign are tied for second most in the Western Conference, trailing only Real Salt Lake (51), and tied for third most in the league behind Inter Miami CF (56).
• The Timbers and MLS will pause regular season play to begin the second edition of Leagues Cup next week.
• Portland is set to open their 2024 Leagues Cup account next week as they host LIGA MX side Club León on Sunday, July 28 at Providence Park.
• A part of West 5 Group, the Timbers will also host the Colorado Rapids in the group stage of the tournament in a midweek matchup on Thursday, August 1.

Next Game

The Timbers will open their 2024 Leagues Cup account next week host LIGA MX side Club León on Sunday, July 28 at 7:30pm PT. All matches will be streamed live on MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV app in English and Spanish.

Portland Timbers (10-9-6, 36pts) at LA Galaxy (14-5-7, 49pts)

July 20, 2024 – Dignity Health Sports Park (Carson, Calif.)

Scoring Summary:
LA: Pec (Paintsil, Puig), 38
LA: Puig (Paintsil), 48
POR: Rodríguez (Evander, Moreno). 52
LA: Paintsil (Fagundez, Nelson), 58
POR: Moreno (Bravo), 73

Misconduct Summary:
POR: Evander (caution), 14
POR: Chara (caution), 41
POR: Zuparic (caution), 62
LA: Nelson (caution), 90
POR: K. Miller (caution), 90+5
LA: Berry (caution), 90+6
POR: Rodríguez (caution), 90+9

Lineups:
POR: GK Pantemis, D Bravo (McGraw, 81), D Zuparic (K. Miller, 64), D Araujo, D Mosquera, M Chara © (Paredes, 64), M Williamson, M Evander, M Moreno (Fogaça, 86), F Mora (Antony, 64), F Rodríguez

Substitutes Not Used: GK Muse, D Mabiala, D E. Miller

TOTAL SHOTS: 16 (Evander, 5); SHOTS ON GOAL: 4 (Rodríguez, 2); FOULS: 13 (three players tied, 2); OFFSIDES: 0; CORNER KICKS: 7; SAVES: 3

LA: GK McCarthy, D Nelson, D Yoshida ©, D Caceres, D Yamane (Cuevas, 77), M Cerrillo, M Delgado, M Fagundez (Berry, 90+3), F Puig, F Pec, F Paintsil (Garces, 86)

Substitutes Not Used: GK Micovic, D Neal, D Zavaleta, M Parente, M Perez, M Lepley

TOTAL SHOTS: 16 (Pec, Puig, 6); SHOTS ON GOAL: 6 (three players tied, 2); FOULS: 6 (Puig, 2); OFFSIDES: 5; CORNER KICKS: 4; SAVES: 2

Referee: Sergii Boiko
Assistant Referees: Stefan Tanaka-Freundt, Matthew Nelson
Fourth Official: Timothy Ford
VAR: Mike Kampmeinert, Jorge Gonzalez
Weather: Clear, 74 degrees
Attendance: 23,586

All statistics contained in this box score are unofficial.