Los Angeles Galaxy vs. Portland Timbers: Live Blog

Jul 4, 2014; Carson, CA, USA; Los Angeles Galaxy forward Landon Donovan (10) and Portland Timbers midfielder Diego Chara (21) battle for the ball in the second half of the game at StubHub Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Bruce Arena’s Los Angeles Galaxy and Caleb Porter’s Portland Timbers meet in an important MLS Western Conference showdown today at StubHub Center in Carson, Calif. The Galaxy are currently 8-4–6 [30 points], while Portland are 6-6-9 [27 points].

Western Conference

TOP FIVE CLUBS IN EACH CONFERENCE REACH PLAYOFFS

PTS: Points, GP: Games Played, PPG: Points Per Game, W: Wins, L: Losses, T: Ties, GF: Goals For, GA: Goals Against, GD:Goal Difference, HG: Home Goals For, HGD: Home Goals Difference, RG: Road Goals For, RGD: Road Goals Difference,

Kickoff is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. PT/2:30 p.m. ET and will be televised by NBC and TSN. The Live Blog will begin at 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET. Keep it right here on the MLS Multiplex for continuing coverage of the 2014 Major League Soccer season.

Refresh the screen for updates!

T-90: Welcome to the Live Blog between the Los Angeles Galaxy and Portland Timbers, live from StubHub Center in Carson, Calif. I am JoRyan Salazar, co-editor of the MLS Multiplex alongside Chase Ruttig. There are slightly cloudy skies over the Hub, but it’s warm and will make for some strenuous football here in Southern California.

The preview, from MLSSoccer.com.

REFEREE: Kevin Stott. AR1 (bench): Brian Poeschel; AR2 (opposite): Jeremy Hanson; 4th: Ricardo Salazar
MLS Career: 252 games; FC/gm: 25.5; Y/gm: 3.3; R: 61; pens: 61

SUSPENDED: none
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: LA: Dan Gargan … POR: Pa Modou Kah
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: LA: Landon Donovan … POR: Norbetto Paparetto, Will Johnson
DISABLED LIST: none
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none

HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (10 meetings): Galaxy 4 wins, 16 goals … Timbers 3 wins, 13 goals … Ties 3
AT LA (5 meetings): Galaxy 3 wins, 9 goals … Timbers 0 wins, 3 goals … Ties 2

2014 (MLS)
5/11: POR 1, LA 1 (Valeri 95+ — Keane 92+)
7/4: LA 2, POR 2 (Sarvas 65; own goal 86 – Valeri 67; Villafana 70)

• The teams are meeting for the third time this season, having drawn twice. On May 11, Robbie Keane scored in stoppage time, but Diego Valeri scored even later, leaving the teams with a 1-1 tie at Providence Park. On July 4, an own goal in the 86th minute gave the Galaxy the equalizer in a 2-2 draw at StubHub Center.
• The Galaxy have never lost to the Timbers in Carson, winning the first three meetings there all-time before the teams played to draws in each of the last two matches.
• Coaches record: Caleb Porter vs. LA: P5 W2 L0 D3 … Bruce Arena vs. POR: P10 W4 L3 D3

The LA Galaxy returned to their winning ways in impressive fashion, rolling to a 3-1 win against Seattle Sounders FC on Monday evening at CenturyLink Field. The Galaxy sit in a tie for third place in the Western Conference with 30 points from 18 games.

The Portland Timbers took their second consecutive come-from-behind win, getting a late goal for a 3-2 win against the Montreal Impact on Sunday evening at Stade Saputo. The Timbers are in seventh place in the Western Conference with 27 points from 21 games.

T-62: Galaxy forward Robbie Keane and defender Omar Gonzalez were removed from the roster for the 2014 AT&T MLS All-Star Game against Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich next Wednesday, Aug. 6 (6:30 p.m. PT on ESPN2, UniMas, TSN, RDS), MLS and the Galaxy announced today.

T-56: Take a look at the match poster for today’s contest between Los Angeles and Portland.

T-52: “We know it’s going to be a soccer game, and we like games like that,” Porter told MLSSoccer.com’s Dan Itel. “You know it’s going to come down to on the day the best team wins. They put a bit of a marker down on the league, beating Seattle 3-0. They showed their quality, and it’s going to be a really tough test for us.”

T-45: As this is a morning game, it looks like it will be a sparse crowd on hand. Otherwise, the fans are arriving a bit late to this one, fashionably.

T-33: This match is the starter to a big day of soccer, with Montreal and Toronto kicking off at 5 p.m. ET, New York and New England kicking off at 7 p.m. ET, Chicago and Columbus kicking off at 8:30 p.m. ET, Colorado and Real Salt Lake kicking off at 9 p.m. ET and both San Jose and Seattle kicking off in the nightcap at 10:30 p.m. ET.

T-30: Lineups will be coming in a bit. Sound off on your thoughts on the game by commenting below.

T-29: Both teams are warming up.

T-24: Lineups, etc.

Lineup

Bench

Officials

T-15: The Galaxy won’t have much time to catch their breath from this, as they have to put up with the San Jose Earthquakes on Friday at the Hub. Any game between the Galaxy and Quakes will always be fun to watch.

T-13: As for the Timbers, next Saturday they return home to Providence Park in Portland, Ore. to take on Chivas USA.

T-9: “Anytime you can win consecutive games in a row, especially when you can start adding them up, two, three, four in a row, you can move up the standings real quick,” Portland defender Jack Jewsbury told Dan Itel. “And obviously with the slow start we had, we’re going to need that to get back in the race. So it feels good to get a couple, and yeah, three would be great.”

T-5: Take a look at the Galaxy’s new partnership with Ames Bros.

T-1: There will be no Darlington Nagbe for Portland against the Galaxy. How will the Timbers manage.

T-0: We’re live on NBC.

The Timbers Army are out in full force, singing and chanting, as expected. Both teams head to the dressing rooms before reemerging.

This is is going to be bit of a chant war between the Angel City Brigade and the Timbers Army. Galaxy Academy Under-16s getting their plaudits.

This is the 30th Anniversary of the Los Angeles 1984 Olympics, one of the few Olympics that turned a profit due to its cost-cutting measures. For the record, the blog entry author was born during Los Angeles 1984.

Both teams enter the pitch to the strains of the MLS Anthem.

National anthem by Aaron Aguayo.

FIRST HALF START: 11:55 A.M. PT/2:55 P.M. ET

1′ – The first half begins.

2′ – Strangely enough, due to the crosswind, the confetti blew towards the concourse and not the seats. Here’s LA with their first sequence. Long pass for Stefan Ishizaki is slowed down then picked. Gyasi Zardes now.

3′ – Donovan Ricketts collects. Landon Donovan tried something but the Timbers midfield collects. A foul, and Portland win a restart.

4′ – Too long for Rodney Wallace. Throw-in, LA. Here come Portland, forcing LA to go on the rope-a-dope.

5′ – Portland is stretching the LA midfield.  Donovan with a shot that is collected by Ricketts. A Donovan on Donovan play.

6′ – Throw-in to Portland, who slow things down a bit.

7′ – Liam Ridgewell plays it forward. This will be a corner, in front of the Los Angeles Riot Squad. Cleared.

8′ – Gaston Fernandez now. Kevin Stott sees something he doesn’t like. Goal kick. Dan Gargan plays it forward.  Donovan tries to find Robbie Rogers, but the communication was missing.

9′  – So LA have been trying some creativity but you can’t have good creativity without communication. Back to Ricketts for another sequence. Sarvas with a header over the bar.

10′ – Donovan again. And once again, Rogers with the misplay.

11′ –  Sarvas. A quick restart. Collection by Ricketts on Sarvas.

12′ – Not a good layoff by Zardes. Free kick awarded by to LA. The Galaxy play it back. Ricketts collects again.

13′ – Once again, the Galaxy are pressing the issue with the attack, but Portland are there to defend. Fernandez wins a free kick, and this is Diego Valeri’s specialty.

14′ – GOAL! Portland Timbers 8 Diego Valeri
Well, it was Valeri’s specialty for a reason. What a free kick from 25 yards out. 1-0 Portland.

15′ – The price you pay for finishing like a bunch of newbs is steep, and now it’s up to Los Angeles to get back in this game before things gets real ugly.

16′  – Another shot from Sarvas misses wide right.

17′ – We have a player down for Portland. Looks like it’s Fernandez.

18′ – Fernandez gets up after that knock. Hopefully he will be able to at least finish the half.

19′  – Juninho’s poor form continues with that volley missing wide right.

20′ – An unimpressive dribble from Ishizaki. Had his legs tangled from under him.

21′ – Ricketts with another sweeping collection and he is shaken up for a bit.

22′ – Fernandez again is hurt.

23′ – Jack Jewsbury, the ageless Jack Jewsbury with the throw. Jaime Penedo plays it forward. Now it’s Ricketts’s turn.

24′ – LA win a throw after a midfield battle.

25′ – Substitution Portland Timbers

IN 11 Kalif Alhassan
OUT 10 Gaston Fernandez

One of the more speculative shots from Sarvas.

26′ – For those of you joining us, the Portland Timbers are leading, 1-0, over the Los Angeles Galaxy. Donovan wins a corner. Taken. short and cleared.

27′ – Portland’s closing speed is among the best in Major League Soccer. Their record does not do justice to their reaction and effectiveness.

28′ – Another collection by Ricketts. Not a good cross from Ishizaki. He found no one on the right side.

29′ – Throw-in, Portland. Back come LA.

30′ – A header by Zardes hits the bar. Corner, Los Angeles. Headed over and out by Zardes.

31′ – Robbie Rogers with the throw.

32′ – Los Angeles have been unable to finish their chances and this has been costly for them.

33′ – Diego Chara plays it forward. Goal kick, Jaime Penedo.

34′ – Omar Gonzalez now. Picked off. A bad pass. Danny O’Rourke wins that race over Gyasi Zardes.

35′ – Here come Los Angeles. Stott whistles for a foul.

36′ — Kalif Alhassan. Los Angeles colect. A save by Ricketts.

37′ – Zardes doing a bit too much. And this will be a free kick to the Timbers.

38′ — That went as well as it will go. Throw-in, LA.

39′ — Back come the Timbers. And a Portland player is shaken up.

40′ – Seems the only supporters I can hear are the Timbers Army. ACB not impressed by the proceedings on the pitch.

41′ – More impressive defending from O’Rourke.

42′ – A speculative overhead. Corner kick for Donovan.

43′ — Take two…collected by Ricketts.

44′ – Robbie Keane must have thought Zardes had Danny Welbeck legs.

45′  – Let’s see how many minutes. Poor header by Keane. Four minutes. No quick restart, says Stott. Juninho plays it forward. Ricketts with another collection. He is playing out of his skins today. A long throw. Portland will be content with this one-goal lead

GOAL! Los Angeles Galaxy 11 Gyasi Zardes

Good header from the Rogers cross.

HALFTIME

LOS ANGELES GALAXY 1

PORTLAND TIMBERS 1

Team Statistics

SECOND HALF START: 1:00 P.M. PT/4:00 P.M. ET

46′ – The second half is underway. There will be a delay to the second half live play by play due to my laptop having issues.

47′ – Midfield battle so far, and there will be a throw-in by Dan Gargan. Another throw by Stefan Ishizaki.

48′ – Maxi Urruti tried to head a teasing ball it but ran out of time.

49′ — Good tackle on Sarvas by Michael Harrington.

50′ – This is a personal view, but some of the chanting from the Timbers has too much claps. Reminds me of Major League Baseball.

51′ – It’s a muggy day here in Southern California, as Omar Gonzalez plays it forward. Juninho with the layoff to Donovan.

52′ – Gargan’s header is collected by Rickettts.

53′ – Harrington again wins a goal kick for Ricketts. He’s also been playing out of his skins today.

54′ – Rodney Wallace being a bit too adventurous. Ishizaki wins a throw to PTFC. Get out of the way Juninho, says Diego Chara.

55′ – Chara wins a restart. That’s not a very good shot from Kalif Alhassan. Should have taken his time there.

56′ – Donovan doing a bit too much with the ball. Here’s Harrington.

57′ – Goal kick, Ricketts after the miss by Ishizaki.

58′ – Galaxy elect to slow down the pace a bit before going forward. Ishizaki with the slide. Indicision from Juninho.

59′  Now here’s Will Johnson, the Timbers captain. Alhassan hits the side netting on the break.

60′ – Substitution Portland Timbers

IN 9 Fanendo Adi
OUT 37 Maximiliano Urruti

Substitution Los Angeles Galaxy 

IN 6 Baggio Husidic
OUT 24 Stefan Ishizaki

61′ – This is a stalemate, heading into the final 30 minutes of the contest. What can Husidic do to turn the tide in LA’s favor?

62′ – Omar Gonzalez with the sweep.

63′ – Husidic is jammed by Wallace. No communication between Donovan and Zardes there. Corner, LA.

64′ – Headed over and out by Zardes. The Galaxy are feeding balls to him but it’s up to him to finish.

65′  – Stott plays advantage to Portland. Here’s Harrington. Advantage over after Wallace is whistled.

66′ –  Man down on the pitch for Portland, it’s Michael Harrington.

67′ – Harrington gets up after being treated to.

68′ – Zardes lays it off. Getting a bit better a laying off balls is Zardes.

69′ – Back come Portland with their alternate greens. LA collect. Donovan. Liam Ridgewell concedes a corner.

70′ – Too high from Zardes. Goal kick, Donovan Ricketts.

71′ – Adi is the man down for Portland but he is up.

72′ – LA win a restart. Gonzalez, Zardes, and Zardes with the poor touch.  Harrington to throw.

73′ – 20,089 in attendance.

GOAL! Los Angeles Galaxy 7 Robbie Keane
Great ball, and a wonderful finish.

74′  – I believe Landon Donovan will be credited with the assist on that goals.

75′ – Yellow card 8 Marcelo Sarvas
Los Angeles Galaxy

Now that’s just clumsy and unnecessary. Gonna be a wide-open game from this point forward.

76′ – Here come the StubHub boo birds.

77′ – Substitution Portland Timbers
IN 19 Jorge Villafana
OUT 5 Michael Harrington

78′ – Villafana, the original Sueno MLS winner, wins a corner. Punched out by Jaime Penedo.

79′ – Corner for Los Angeles. Donovan to take this. Overhead from Keane is collected by Ricketts.

80′ –  Sarvas is a bit cautious at this point in the game.

81′ – Yellow card 21 Diego Chara
Portland Timbers

82′ – A.J. DeLaGarza to take the restart. Check that. It’s Omar Gonzalez.

83′ – O’Rourke concedes another Donovan corner, this time in front of the Riot Squad end. Penalty.

84′ – Juninho is the man down for the G’s, but he’s back up on his feet.

85′ – Keane will take this. Last time he tried it, it was saved.

GOAL! Los Angeles Galaxy 7 Robbie Keane
And Ricketts didn’t even bother to attempt the save there.

86′ – Now this match is going to be wide-open.

Substitution Los Angeles Galaxy
IN 30 Chandler Hoffman
OUT 19 Juninho

87′ – Some of the fans are taking off, which is understandable. Husidic heads it over and out.

88′ – Keane is called for the foul. Zardes with the clearance.

89′ – Penedo plays it forward. Los Angeles are looking to lock down these last few minutes.

90′ – So let’s see how many minutes we’ll be getting here. My guess it’s four…and it is.

90′ + 1′ – DeLaGarza with another clearance.

90′ + 2′ – Husidic makes a meal of that pass. Not sure why. Back to the ball possession battle.

90′ +3′ – A bit too flash from Gonzo. Zardes is double teamed and concedes a free kick.

90′ + 4′ – Well, when you don’t have Darlington Nagbe, it does makes things a bit difficult. Keane will just melt the clock here. And that’s it.

FINAL

LOS ANGELES GALAXY 3

PORTLAND TIMBERS 1

Team Statistics

Goals and Assists

Assisted By: Robbie Rogers, Robbie Keane

73′

Robbie Keane

Assisted By: Landon Donovan

85′

Robbie Keane

(PK)

Disciplinary

Reason: Foul

81′

Diego Chara

Reason: Foul

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