The Portland Timbers had a good number of scoring chances, outshooting their opponents by a 16-10 margin, but could not convert their chances while the Galaxy did. Javier “Chicharito” Hernández scored twice for the Galaxy, while Bill Tuiloma had two himself, one for the Timbers as well as an own goal, in a 3-1 loss.
The Galaxy would not take long to put a goal on the board, when in just the 9th minute, when Samuel Grandsir made a deep cross to a wide-open Chicharito at the far post, who finished easily for the 1-0 Galaxy lead.
Two minutes later the Timbers had a great chance of their own when Yimmi Chará found Cristhian Paredes who had a good look at the Galaxy goal, but his nice shot was parried away by a find save from Jonathan Bond.
But just a few minutes later the Galaxy doubled their lead when Grandsir made a deep run and his cross rebounded off Timbers defender Bill Tuiloma and into the net, and the Galaxy led by a 2-0 score.
In the 28th minute, the Timbers seemed unfortunate not to score when Yimmi Chará faked Bond to the ground and attempted to round the Galaxy keeper, but his follow-up shot to the unguarded net was blocked by defender Derrick Williams.
Then during first-half stoppage time the Timbers would go down a player when Pablo Bonilla was sent off after shoving a Galaxy player who grabbed his shoulders after a hard foul on Tuiloma, and as has been common this season, the Timbers would finish the match with 10 men. The Galaxy led at the break by a 2-0 score.
But in the 51st minute, the Timbers would pull back a goal when Tuiloma’s free kick from 25 yards out to the upper-right corner of the goal could not be stopped by Bond, and the score was now Galaxy 2, Timbers 1.
It would only take eight minutes for the Galaxy to increase their lead to two goals again, when Raheem Edwards slipped past some poor Timbers tackling, and found Chicharito open in the Timbers box, and the Galaxy forward finished well with a low-shot that beat goalkeeper Aljaž Ivačič, and the Galaxy lead was 3-1.
Then in the 61st minute, the match would become a 10 on 10 affair when the Galaxy’s Mark Delgado received his second yellow on a foul just outside the Galaxy box.
The Timbers would have a few more good opportunities but could never find the net, and the Galaxy would hold on for the 3-1 win.
Aljaž Ivačič would record two saves for the Timbers, while Jonathan Bond had three saves for the Galaxy.
MATCH RECAP | Ten-man Portland Timbers lose 3-1 to 10-man LA Galaxy | Timbers website
