The Portland Timbers, helped by a red card to center back Derrick Williams just before halftime, routed the 10-man LA Galaxy by a 3-0 scoreline Saturday afternoon at Providence Park.
Williams was sent off in the 44th minute after a crunching challenge on Portland forward Andy Polo, and head referee Alan Kelly went straight to his back pocket for the red card. Polo was subbed off for Felipe Mora, then was seen on the TV broadcast in a leg brace and crutches after absorbing considerable force.
Mora seized his opportunity right after halftime, nodding home a Josecarlos Van Rankin cross in the 47th minute for a 1-0 lead. Galaxy left back Jorge Villafana was slow to close down the Timbers’ right back, allowing the unmarked Chilean to nod home past goalkeeper Jonathan Bond.
Mora got another in the 60th minute, beating Galaxy center back Nick Depuy to a rebound for the 2-0 advantage. Van Rankin’s dinked shot hit the crossbar, and the 27-year-old was quickest to react.
Portland sealed the result in the 69th minute when Diego Valeri dispatched a penalty kick to the top corner. Van Rankin slalomed through the Galaxy defense and was tripped up by center back Daniel Steres, all before Valeri made no mistake from the spot.
Goals
Three Things
- THE BIG PICTURE: Portland entered with nine players out injured, yet dug deep to record back-to-back wins by a combined 5-0 scoreline. What level could Giovanni Savarese's team reach when everyone is back healthy, namely defensive midfielder Diego Chara and DP attackers Sebastian Blanco and Jaroslaw Niezgoda? For LA, it's hard to view this result as a demerit toward what Greg Vanney is building. They spent 46 minutes (plus stoppage time) down a man and tested goalkeeper Logan Ketterer on several occasions.
- MOMENT OF THE MATCH: The game flipped on its head when Derrick Williams was dismissed for a dangerous challenge on Andy Polo. LA had to adjust tactically, and Portland set the tone with three second-half goals.
- MAN OF THE MATCH: Felipe Mora scored his first two goals of the 2021 MLS season and bagged his second brace in a Timbers jersey. Mora spent last year on loan from Liga MX side Pumas, then was brought back on a permanent basis.
Next Up
- POR: Sunday, May 30 at Philadelphia Union | 7 pm ET (FS1, FOX Deportes)
- LA: Saturday, May 29 vs. San Jose Earthquakes | 7 pm ET (UniMas, TUDN, Twitter)
