Galaxy defeats Portland to remain in first place in the Western Conference
Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder Riqui Puig (10) dribbles the ball against the Portland Timbers during the second half of an MLS soccer match at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif. on Saturday, July 20, 2024. Los Angeles Galaxy won 3-2. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Los Angeles Galaxy forward Gabriel Pec moves the ball against the Portland Timbers during the second half of an MLS soccer match at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif. on Saturday, July 20, 2024. Los Angeles Galaxy won 3-2. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Los Angeles Galaxy defender Maya Yoshida, right, brings the ball up the pitch against the Portland Timbers during the second half of an MLS soccer match at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif. on Saturday, July 20, 2024. Los Angeles Galaxy won 3-2. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Los Angeles Galaxy forward Diego Fagúndez, right, recovers the ball against Portland Timbers defender Miguel Araujo during the second half of an MLS soccer match at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif. on Saturday, July 20, 2024. Los Angeles Galaxy won 3-2. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder Marco Delgado, left, recovers the ball against the Portland Timbers during the first half of an MLS soccer match at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif. on Saturday, July 20, 2024. Los Angeles Galaxy won 3-2. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Los Angeles Galaxy forward Joseph Paintsil, center, dribbles the ball between three Portland Timbers defenders during the second half of an MLS soccer match at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif. on Saturday, July 20, 2024. Los Angeles Galaxy won 3-2. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Los Angeles Galaxy forward Gino Vivi, top right, kicks a goal past Los Angeles Galaxy goalkeeper John McCarthy, center, during the second half of an MLS soccer match at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif. on Saturday, July 20, 2024. Los Angeles Galaxy won 3-2. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Los Angeles Galaxy forward Diego Fagúndez, right, vies for the ball with Portland Timbers defender Juan David Mosquera lduring the second half of an MLS soccer match at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif. on Saturday, July 20, 2024. Los Angeles Galaxy won 3-2. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Los Angeles Galaxy defender Maya Yoshida, bottom right, vies for the ball against the Portland Timbers during the second half of an MLS soccer match at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif. on Saturday, July 20, 2024. Los Angeles Galaxy won 3-2. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Los Angeles Galaxy forward Gabriel Pec scores a goal against the Portland Timbers during the first half of an MLS soccer match at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif. on Saturday, July 20, 2024. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder Riqui Puig takes a goal shot against the Portland Timbersduring the first half of an MLS soccer match at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif. on Saturday, July 20, 2024. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Los Angeles Galaxy defender John Nelson kicks the ball against the Portland Timbers during the first half of an MLS soccer match at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif. on Saturday, July 20, 2024. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder Marco Delgado (8) heads the ball against the Portland Timbers during the first half of an MLS soccer match at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif. on Saturday, July 20, 2024. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Los Angeles Galaxy forward Joseph Paintsil, right, vies for the ball against Portland Timbers defender Zac McGraw during the first half of an MLS soccer match at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif. on Saturday, July 20, 2024. Los Angeles Galaxy won 3-2. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Los Angeles Galaxy head coach Greg Vanney, center, looks on during the first second half of an MLS soccer match at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif. on Saturday, July 20, 2024. Los Angeles Galaxy won 3-2. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder Riqui Puig (10) and teammates celebrates with Los Angeles Galaxy forward Joseph Paintsil, left of Puig, after Paintsil scores a a goal against the Portland Timbers during the second half of an MLS soccer match at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif. on Saturday, July 20, 2024. Los Angeles Galaxy won 3-2. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder Riqui Puig points to the sky after scoring a goal against the Portland Timbers during the second half of an MLS soccer match at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif. on Saturday, July 20, 2024. Los Angeles Galaxy won 3-2. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Los Angeles Galaxy forward Joseph Paintsil, bottom center right, scores a goal past Portland Timbers goalkeeper James Pantemis, right, during the second half of an MLS soccer match at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif. on Saturday, July 20, 2024. Los Angeles Galaxy won 3-2. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Los Angeles Galaxy forward Gabriel Pec (11) celebrates with teammates after he scores a goal against the Portland Timbers during the first half of an MLS soccer match at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif. on Saturday, July 20, 2024. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
CARSON — Galaxy coach Greg Vanney said the goal for the week was to head into the Leagues Cup break in first place in the Western Conference.
Mission accomplished.
The Galaxy (14-5-7, 49 points) scored twice in the second half (Riqui Puig and Joseph Paintsil) and then held on for a nail-biting 3-2 win over the Portland Timbers in front of 23,586 at Dignity Health Sports Park.
Not only was 90 minutes enough, the Galaxy had to weather an additional eight minutes of stoppage time in the second half before being able to celebrate and exhale.
Defender Emiro Garces had a late clearance to help preserve the win.
The Galaxy now head into a break as the league turns attention toward the Leagues Cup tournament, featuring teams in Major League Soccer and Liga MX. Their first game will be July 31 against San Jose, followed by a meeting with Chivas (Aug. 4). They’re not scheduled to returned to league play until Aug. 24.
“Now the question is, how do we evolve to be a knockout champion versus a team that can win games during the season,” Vanney said. “That’s our evolution in the last part of the season, so that we become a threat to win a trophy at the end.”
For a brief moment in the second half, the Galaxy looked on the verge of taking complete control. Puig scored in the 48th minute, assisted by Paintsil for a 2-0 lead.
It wouldn’t last long, because Jonathan Rodriguez kept the Timbers in the game with his goal in the 52nd minute.
Paintsil restored the Galaxy’s two-goal advantage in the 58th minute, but again, the Timbers cut it half, this time on a goal by Santiago Moreno in the 73rd minute.
The back-and-forth was expected considering the high-octane offenses that both teams possessed.
The Timbers entered with 48 goals and boasted three players (Rodriguez, Evander and Felipe Mora) with 11 goals apiece.
The Galaxy had scored 47 and even without leading goal scorer Dejan Joveljic (12 goals), still have enough in the reserve with Gabriel Pec, Paintsil and Puig. The trio had a combined 23 goals between them.
The Galaxy broke through on the scoreboard first in the 38th minute on Pec’s 10th goal of the season Again, it was the work of the Galaxy’s Designated Players supplying the work. Puig’s pass out of the middle opened the play up. Paintsil had possession on the left and fed Pec for the finish.
With the goal, Pec reached soccer’s double-double with 10 goals and 10 assists. He joins Zlatan Ibrahimovic (2018), Romain Alessandrini (2017) and Landon Donovan (2005) in a group of Galaxy players to accomplish the feat in their first season with the Galaxy. .
This was the first meeting between the teams since last season, both games ended in draws (0-0 and 3-3).
The Galaxy started their latest three-game in eight-day stretch with a loss against FC Dallas (July 13), but they rebounded with home wins over Colorado and Portland to end the week. When the regular-season resumes, the Galaxy will have just eight games left.
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