CARSON, Calif. – The Portland Timbers were winless in three matches heading into Sunday’s contest with an LA Galaxy team that had been in strong form at home, scoring seven goals in their previous two matches at StubHub Center.
Things generally held to form, except for the scoreline.
The Galaxy outshot the Timbers 13-4 and held nearly 60 percent of the possession, but had to settle for a 1-1 draw.
“We were supposed to be aggressive as soon as the whistle started,” Galaxy forward Gyasi Zardes said. “But Portland did a great job of sitting their back line very far [back].
“You can’t really play out of the middle because they’re so compact,” Zardes added. “So we really tried to spread it to our wingers and let them go one v one. Let Sebastian [Lletget] go at a guy. Let Mike Magee go at a guy. They’re both very talented with the ball at their feet. So that was the game plan when Portland overcrowded the middle.”
However, whether it was Lletget using nifty footwork in the box to get a tricky shot off, Zardes pushing forward menacingly with the ball at his feet or Magee putting in a man-of-the-match worthy performance, goals proved elusive for the Galaxy.
“Obviously, it wasn’t good enough,” LA coach Bruce Arena said, citing a shot that Magee whistled over the bar in the 32nd minute as the team’s best chance.
In 90-plus minutes that highlighted the absence of Robbie Keane’s goal-scoring prowess and Steven Gerrard’s midfield stewardship, the Galaxy needed the help of a Timbers’ own goal to salvage a point, when Lletget’s cross was inadvertently headed home by Portland defender Nat Borchers.
Zardes said he believed he would’ve gotten to Lletget’s cross had Borchers not directed the ball into his own net.
Arena also commented on Galaxy forward Giovani Dos Santos, who was playing his first Galaxy match since the season opener thanks to injury woes.
“To get 65 minutes out of him was good, but you could see he needs a little bit more time.” Arena said. “But it’s good to get him back.”
