Match Recap: Timbers vs LA Galaxy

Timbers let late lead, three points, slip away at home.

Photo: Kelsey Baker

The Portland Timbers left Providence Park in an angry, emotional manner having seen a 1-0 lead slip away against the LA Galaxy after a poor piece of defending and missed penalty call in the dying seconds of the match saw the reigning MLS Cup champions secure a 1-1 draw away from home.

Lineups & Prematch

After the back-three formation that Phil Neville had rolled out to start the year was exposed in Nashville, he opted for a return to the tried and true 4-2-3-1 that Timbers supporters have become accustomed to in MLS.

Bench: Crepeau, Bravo, Smith, McGraw, Paredes, Ortiz, Lassiter, Kelsy

James Pantemis retained his starting role despite Max Crepeau’s return from injury, as did Jimer Fory and Finn Surman. Eric and Kamal Miller were the two changes Neville made.

In midfield Diego Chara returned to the lineup in place of Joao Ortiz, who has struggled to adjust to the speed on MLS play, and David Da Costa was moved to his natural position at #10 in front of Chara and David Ayala.

Santiago Moreno earned his first start of 2025 opposite Antony behind Felipe Mora up top.

Dario Zuparic wasn’t listed on the injury report, but didn’t make the bench for the Timbers.

Match Recap & Storyline

2’ Chance Galaxy — Jimer Fory lost a duel against Galaxy DP Gabriel Pec on the wing, which forced Kamal Miller into a late challenge right on the edge of the box (Sound familiar?). Thankfully this time it wasn’t a red card challenge, and Antony was able to defend the free kick at the near post.

The Timbers controlled the first ~25 minutes of the match, with the best chance falling to David Ayala, whose shot from outside the box was blocked by a crowd of Galaxy players.

26’ Yellow Card Timbers — Jimer Fory was shown his fourth yellow card of the season for a foul on Harbor Miller. Moments earlier the referee gave Fory a talking to for a foul on Pec, and Fory didn’t take his advice to heart.

Santi Moreno and David Da Costa were very involved throughout the half, and along with Antony switched positions along the frontline. But too often Moreno and Da Costa were occupying the same spaces in the final third, which led to the attack looking congested at times. Antony’s defensive work-rate was fully on display throughout the first half — Other standouts were Fory, Surman, and Kamal Miller.

Halftime: Portland Timbers 0 - 0 LA Galaxy

49’ GOAL TIMBERS, Felipe Mora — Diego Chara recycled a corner kick that hit the first defender back out to Da Costa, who drove to the endline and drilled a low cross into Felipe Mora’s darting run to the near post for a tap-in. Find Pipe in the six-yard-box and he will score you goals.

The Galaxy posed a threat through their right side for the next minutes, likely knowing their best chance of getting back into the match was through their lone available DP Gabriel Pec.

66’ Chance Galaxy — Pec drove into the box and sent a cross toward Miguel Berry in front of goal, but a combination of blocks saw the ball squirm into Pantemis’ arms agonizingly close to the goal line.

70’ Chance Galaxy — Tucker Lepley took a shot from distance that looked destined for the top corner, but Pantemis again did enough to keep it out with a flying save to keep the Timbers in the lead.

74’ Substitution Timbers — With the Galaxy firmly in the ascendency, Neville opted for a triple change: Kelsy, Paredes, McGraw ON // Mora, Ayala, K. Miller OFF. Kamal Miller went down off the ball before the change happened.

81’ GOAL Galaxy — It had been coming since the Timbers scored their goal, but the Galaxy finally equalized through substitute Christian Ramirez in the latter stages. Much like the first penalty conceded against Nashville, the Galaxy hit a long ball over the top that Zac McGraw failed to deal with, and after a lengthy VAR check the goal was given.

90’ Six minutes of second half stoppage time were added

90+3’ PRO failing to call a game correctly — The Timbers looked to have won a certain penalty kick at the end of the match after Cristhian Paredes was wiped out inside the box following a give and go with Kevin Kelsy, but inexplicably neither center official Lukasz Szpala or VAR official Sorin Stoica intervened to make the correct decision.

Full Time: Portland Timbers 1 -1 LA Galaxy

Post-match, Neville sounded off on the no-call: “The referee told [Diego Chara] it was a penalty, but because Ariel Lassiter had the shot he played the play on. So I have nothing to say, I don’t want to get in trouble. We’re really angry because this is not good enough on any level. I came in here after the Vancouver game and I took it, two horrendous decisions in that game and I think today just tops off one of the worst decisions I’ve ever seen in MLS that I’ve been involved in. Purely, simply, because it was a penalty. So maybe we just don’t invest in VAR and give that money to charity.”

He also acknowledged that the Timbers lost control of the match after scoring their goal through Felipe Mora, and how disappointing it was that they lacked the intensity required to see the match out against an LA Galaxy squad that was there to be beaten.

It doesn’t get any easier for the Timbers, who will now probably be without Kamal Miller for a road trip to Colorado next weekend. Kickoff from Dick’s Sporting Goods Park is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. PT on Saturday, March 22.