(10) Portland Timbers (1,3,0, 3 points) vs (12) LA Galaxy (0,1,2, 2 points)
Saturday March 25, 2023 KO 1:30 PM PST
Providence Park, Portland, Oregon
Portland Timbers Briefly
Somehow, the Portland Timbers have become a hospital with a number of players on the injured list. Still, the team has put in some fight, but has come up short of delivering a positive result.
With last season’s sensation and starting keeper Aljaz Ivacic coming back from the injured list, the man couldn’t envision the goal rout his side was to get with an inspired Five Stripes goal fest in Atlanta.
For Giovanni Savarese lately using a 5-3-2 formation with five defenders, this sudden shift in the lineup is not doing wonders and delivering the results Savarese is looking in every match of this season.
Yes, the Timbers have officially the likes of Franck Boli signed, but until the man get into the team rhythm and gets adapted in Gio’s offensive game, it’s when we can see some much needed results in what seems to be an inoperative attack.
However, not everything is negative when Teka Ikoba scored his first goal of his professional career. Still, the team is in much need of a motivational boost in order to try to get a positive result at home.
I see some players not being the same as well becoming a bit slow in addition of not being able to uplift this team’s attacking options as players like Sebastian Blanco, Cristhian Paredes and Yimmi Chara are out.
With the Timbers’ ten-million-man Evander was sidelined with injuries along with Dairon Aspirilla not going to be ready until April, it’s going gets tough for manager Savarese as well his coaching staff.
So far, we have another troubled side in the LA Galaxy, as the Tinsel Town side is worried about a lack of positive results and with just two points in the table below the Timbers’s three. My question will be if the Rose City side can deliver with a win at home?
GK Aljaz Ivacic, Juan Mosquera, Dario Zuparic, Larrys Mabiala, Zac McGraw, Claudio Bravo; Santiago Moreno, Diego Chara, Eryk Williamson; Nathan Fogaca, Jaroslaw Niezgoda
LA Galaxy Briefly
Did manager Greg Vanney foresee the start his side was to have in this 2023? I doubt it, as the second year man with a team that has an open wallet and can get whoever player the manager in turn desires.
For the man that won it all in his time with Toronto FC, he hasn’t been able to deliver the results so far, that his Galaxy needs to become once again the dominant squad it used to be in Major League Soccer.
Time will be one of his best allies as the man was brought to Tinsel Town to deliver results as well silverware to the halls of Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California.
With the support manager Vanney gets from his front office, the team reinforced his defensive backfield alongside getting another international spot from a trade with the Seattle Sounders.
What does the Galaxy have in mind with an extra international spot? Who they have in mind or already in negotiations to build up in the remainder of the season?
GK Jonathan Bond, Kelvin Leerdam, Jalen Neal, Martin Caceres, Raheem Edwards; Gaston Brugman; Efrain Alvarez, Marky Delgado, Riqi Puig, Tyler Bond; Dejan Jovelic
Meetings
06/18/2022 LA Galaxy 1-1 Portland Timbers
04/03/2022 Portland Timbers 1-3 LA Galaxy
10/16/2021 LA Galaxy 2-1 Portland Timbers
Forecast
Neither team is having a dream start, but for Portland they have home field advantage in favor.
