Match Recap & Highlights: LA Galaxy 1 - 1 Portland Timbers

After a lengthy international break, the Portland Timbers returned to MLS action with a 1-1 draw away to the LA Galaxy. Yimmi Chara opened the scoring following a lightning-quick counterattack toward the end of the first half, but Dejan Joveljic rescued a point for the Galaxy in the 88th minute after some slack defending from Larrys Mabiala and the Timbers defense. The draw snapped a three-match losing streak against the Galaxy for the Timbers, who will undoubtedly feel disappointed to not see out the win.

After an injury-plagued opening 15 matches of the season the Timbers were bolstered by a clean bill of health going into the match, as Felipe Mora, Eryk Williamson, Jaroslaw Niezgoda, and Claudio Bravo all returned to the lineup.

• 6’ Santiago Moreno was played into the box and blasted a shot on target, but Galaxy ‘keeper Jonathan Bond was able to parry the shot out for a corner.
• 10’ Larrys Mabiala was shown a yellow card for a tackle from behind on Chicharito, who made a meal out of the tackle. The yellow card means Mabiala will be suspended for the Timbers’ next match against the Colorado Rapids.
• 11’ From the free kick, Aljaz Ivacic was able to get two strong hands to a curling effort from Victor Vazquez.
• 13’ Jaroslaw Niezgoda was able to get a toe onto a Josecarlos Van Rankin free kick, but couldn’t direct the shot on-frame.
• 16’ After a cutback cross from Kevin Cabral, Ivacic was somehow able to make a stunning reaction save with his foot to keep out a low strike from Vazquez.

• 30’ Larrys Mabiala was lucky to stay on the pitch after putting in another strong, late challenge on Rayan Raveloson. Fortunately for the Timbers, referee Joseph Dickerson didn’t brandish a second yellow card for the tackle.
• 38’ Goal, 1-0 Timbers. A lightning-quick counter-attack from the Timbers saw Cristhian Paredes play an outside-of-the-boot pass out to Blanco on the left wing, who drove forward before picking out Yimmi Chara with a low cross, before firing a low shot past Bond with his left foot to open the scoring.

The score would remain 1-0 in favor of the Timbers at the half.

• 52’ Moreno received the ball from Blanco on the left-hand side of the box and put a tantalizing ball across the face of the goal, but the pass was just a little too far ahead of Yimmi Chara, and the chance dissipated.
• 58’ Samuel Grandsir took a massive dive in the box after Mabiala stuck a leg out, but no contact was made and the Galaxy forward was shown a yellow card.
• 60’ In his first match since returning from injury, Niezgoda was replaced at the hour-mark by Nathan Fogaca.
• 67’ Chicharito somehow sliced a left-footed shot wide of goal from three yards out following a Galaxy corner.
• 71’ Marvin Loria and Dairon Asprilla entered the match for Blanco and Moreno, who both looked visibly-exhausted after causing problems for the Galaxy the entire match.
• 80’ Asprilla put Williams in a blender inside the box, but the Galaxy defender recovered to force Asprilla’s eventual strike wide of goal.
• 85’ Felipe Mora returned to action for the first time this season following offseason knee surgery, replacing Yimmi Chara with five minutes remaining in normal time.
• 88’ Goal Galaxy, 1-1. Dejan Joveljic beat Larrys Mabiala with a lackluster run to the near-post, and glanced a header past Ivacic to level the score in the dying moments of the match.
• 90’ Four minutes of stoppage time were added at the end of the second half.
• 90+3’ The Galaxy thought they had a stoppage time winner following a headed goal off of a corner, but Nick Depuy was adjudged to have fouled Dario Zuparic and the goal was disallowed.

The match finished 1-1.

The Timbers will return to Providence Park for the first time in over a month when they take on the Colorado Rapids on Saturday, June 25, with kickoff slated for 7:30 P.M. PST.