Portland Timbers vs. LA Galaxy: How to watch, preview, match chat [7:30]

The Zlatan show is coming to Cascadia as the Portland Timbers get set to host the LA Galaxy on Saturday night. The Galaxy, one of the Western Conference’s stronger road teams, will prove a stiff challenge for the Timbers as the home side tries to find their footing at Providence Park.

The Timbers will be without Diego Chara due to yellow card accumulation after a foul late in last weekend’s match against the Seattle Sounders put him in the referee’s book. Chara’s absence has been a killer for the Timbers for years now, but with a stronger-than-ever group of up and coming central midfielders the side have some hope of breaking their winless streak of matches in which Chara does not play.

The Galaxy, on the other hand, will have the services of Zlatan Ibrahimovic available to them despite what appeared to be a deliberate and brutal elbow to the head of Mohamed El-Munir last weekend which left the full back with a broken face. If Ibrahimovic makes his Portland debut, it will fall to Larrys Mabiala and Julio Cascante to contain him in what will likely be one of the most physical battles of the season.

Preview

Storylines: “Against LAFC, Schelotto deployed a 4-2-3-1, with Jona dos Santos and Joe Corona as the double pivot. Corona came over from the Xolos in Liga MX and has been filling in with Kitchen on the shelf. He played on Tuesday night, so it’s up in the air whether he gets the start or not.”

And stop by the Rose City Forecast to make your predictions about today’s match.

Match Information

Watch it on: FOX Sports 1

Where: Providence Park in Portland, OR

When: Saturday, July 27th at 7:30 p.m. PT

Portland Timbers: 8-8-4, 9th place in the Western Conference, won 2-1 at Seattle Sounders

LA Galaxy: 12-8-1, 2nd place in the Western Conference, won 3-2 vs. Los Angeles FC