Match Thread: Portland Timbers @ Los Angeles FC

Coming off a gritty 2-2 draw in their home opener, the Portland Timbers travel down to Los Angeles to face Los Angeles FC. The black & gold are Portland’s first Western Conference opponent of the 2022 campaign, and also their first away game of the season.

LAFC produced a big 3-0 home victory over the Colorado Rapids in their first match. Featuring a new head coach in Steve Cherundolo and a revamped roster, last week LAFC looked like the team that took the league by storm three years ago. Carlos Vela also very much looked like his old self — the Vela that won both the league MVP and Golden Boot in LAFC’s dominant season — as he recorded a hat trick in the victory over Colorado.

It will be a tough test for the Timbers, who showed resilience in coming back to earn a draw against the New England Revolution in their opener. Still dealing with key absences and players working their way back to full fitness, Portland remains a somewhat shorthanded side. But as we saw last week, Portland is a side that still has firepower and can score a spectacular goal or two. As it is whenever these two sides match up, it’s sure to be a cracker down in LA.

Game Info

Location: Banc of California Stadium | Los Angeles, CA

Time: 7:00PM PST

Watch: FS1

Radio: 750 The Game & LA GranD 93.5 FM-1150 AM

Pregame Reading

Sam recapped the grit that the Timbers showed in their opening day draw in his inaugural One Big Tree of 2022.

He also looked at what Portland needs to do to notch their first win today in his match preview.

Lineups

Portland Timbers:

LAFC: