The Portland Timbers Reserves and Los Angeles Galaxy Reserves would play a match at Portland’s JELD-WEN Field on Saturday that would have relatively few chances for each side, but the Galaxy would convert two chances in the first half, and though the Timbers would pull one back in the second half, they would never find the net again, and the Galaxy would hold on for the 2-1 win in front of 6,118.
The Galaxy would go up a goal inside the first three minutes when a free kick by Kyle Nakazawa curled towards the far post where it was met by a one-time shot by Leonardo, and on the first shot of the game, the Galaxy had the 1-0 lead.
The Timbers did their best to respond five minutes later, when Sebastian Rincon found Freddie Braun at the top of the box, with his one-time shot deflected wide, but was nearly deflected again in to the net by Charles Renkin, but slipped just past the right post.
In the 21st minute, the Timbers had another great chance when Cam Vickers’ cross nearly found Rincon at the far post, but the Timbers forward headed just wide left.
In the 30th minute, the Galaxy would once again use a set play to score, this time on a free kick just outside the box by Nakazawa that was then headed back across the goal mouth by Jack McBean, and found Chad Barrett open and the forward would head in easily and the Galaxy doubled their lead to 2-0.
In the 31st minute,Portland’s Brent Richards would get a good look from 20 yards straight out from goal, but his bending shot would be just over the bar. Ten minutes later, the Timbers had one more good chance to pull back a goal when a chip into the run of Mike Fucito had the Timbers forward in alone but with a bouncing ball, and his attempt to chip Galaxy goalkeeper and former Timber Josh Saunders was stopped as Saunders reached up to barely tip the chip attempt, and the save would allow the Galaxy to maintain the 2-0 lead at the break.
During a physical second half, the Timbers first good chance to pull back a goal was in the 67th minute when Chris Taylor’s long ball to the far post was headed back across goal by Tracy Hasson, but Richards’ full volley attempt from close-in was over the crossbar. Shortly afterwards though, the Timbers would be given their chance to halve the lead when Richards was fouled inside the box, with Eric Alexander stepping up to take the penalty, and sliding it just inside the right post to make the score 2-1 Galaxy.
In the 77th minute there was a wild sequence in the Galaxy box, which took place with the linesman’s flag up the whole time, but the center referee let play go on with a Galaxy player laying on the pitch, an apparent handball stopping a Timbers shot, an Alexander shot rebounding off the prone Galaxy player, then finally a Rincon bicycle kick going just wide left. But the Timbers would never find the net again and the Galaxy held on for the 2-1 win.
