LOS ANGELES, CA – The Portland Timbers fell 4-2 to Western Conference rivals LAFC Sunday evening. It was a rough week for the Timbers as unprecedented wildfires carried on throughout the state of Oregon. With now over a million acres burned, hazardous air quality prevented the Timbers from training outdoors for the past three days.
Historic forest fires aside, both teams entered the match facing intrinsic adversities of their own. The high-octane LAFC offense had suffered two consecutive shutout losses and remain Carlos Vela-less. The Timbers, on the other hand, received news earlier in the week that Sebastian Blanco’s knee injury required season-ending surgery. They also entered the match without key defenders Diego Chara (suspended due to yellow card accumulation) and Larrys Mabiala (thigh injury).
So both teams should be pretty fired up, right?
Right.
The Timbers scored first in a busy first half that saw five combined goals. In the 25th minute, Eryk Williamson was the end-recipient of a great run of possession that saw nearly every Portland player get a touch on the ball before Felipe Mora slipped a ball past a stretched LAFC defense to Williamson for the goal.
The first thirty minutes were full of pleasant surprises for Portland. Marvin Loria looked inspired and every bit as explosive as Blanco’s replacement in the lineup. The defense, too, looked up to the challenge.
Then the LAFC offense came roaring to life. In a span of just eight minutes, LAFC put three goals past Timbers keeper Steve Clark. In the 37th minute, Bradley Wright-Phillips got the ball first on a LAFC corner kick and flicked the ball to Mark-Anthony Kaye for the goal.
Four minutes later, defender Chris Duvall was unable to track a surging Diego Rossi, whose right-footed shot inside the box put LAFC ahead 2-1.
In the first minute of first-half stoppage time, LAFC took a dangerous free kick just outside the box. The initial attempt hit the Timbers wall low and the ball took a couple of fortunate bounces before making its way to a Bradley Wright-Phillips tap-in.
The Timbers were able to pull one back just moments later to keep things interesting at 3-2. Jorge Villafana floated an enticing cross into the path of Jeremy Ebobisse, who headed the ball up and over LAFC keeper Pablo Sisniega.
The Timbers looked determined and re-energized in the first twenty or so minutes of the second half. Coach Savarese made two changes at half, replacing Marvin Loria and Chris Duvall with Yimmi Chara and Pablo Bonilla, respectively. The Timbers offense created a few significant chances to pull even with LAFC, none better than in the 62nd minute. Diego Valeri’s free kick from just outside the box found its way over the LAFC wall, but it ricocheted off the right post.
By the time second half stoppage-time arrived, the Timbers looked gassed and the game opened up to LAFC’s favor once more before the final whistle blew. As the Timbers pressed high to try to even things up, the defense was left exposed and forward Danny Musovski grabbed another goal for LAFC in the 95th minute.
Jeremy Ebobisse said of his team’s performance Sunday evening and looking forward:
“These 90 minutes are a series of game-making plays and against a team like LAFC, you get punished and so there’s definitely a lot of frustration to go around but we can’t hold our heads down. You got to pick it back up because we have another important game against San Jose and we know that that has to be an opportunity that we take.”
The Timbers take on the Earthquakes on Wednesday, September 16th at Earthquakes Stadium at 6:30 pm PST on FS1.
