Portland Timbers-LA Galaxy Preview (3/22/26)
On a warm September night in 2024, the Portland Timbers and the Los Angeles Galaxy embarked on a quest to sell high-quality MLS soccer to a neutral audience. Both teams succeeded, although the Timbers won the game 4-2. That little hiccup did not matter to the mighty Galaxy, who embarked on a dominant playoff run commencing with their first MLS Cup title since 2014.
Both teams have begun to slide backwards since that outstanding 4-2 game. With a rich history of fiercely-contested, uh, contests, the two familiar foes are set to meet for the first time in 2026. And in another bit of similarity, both teams have a fair amount at stake.
The Galaxy Report
A 4-2 Timbers win also occurred last season. Heading into their meeting on April 27, the defending champions hadn’t tasted victory in the first 9 league games of the season. That streak was stretched to 10 following Portland’s victory, and it would reach 16 before a 2-0 victory against RSL on May 31st ended the worst start to a season in MLS history. This level of failure is usually confined to teams that entered the season with incredibly low expectations; not the defending champions. However, the Western Conference was bad, so the Galaxy somehow had a chance to get into the playoffs if they could quickly right the ship.
They went 2-3-2 in their final 7 games before Leagues Cup, which presented the Galaxy with their only opportunity to win a trophy. First they thumped Tijuana 5-2, and then defeated defending CONCACAF champion Cruz Azul in a penalty shootout. A 4-0 victory against a putrid Santos Laguna side allowed the Galaxy to leapfrog the Timbers and qualify for the knockout stage of the tournament. A massive 2-1 win against Pachuca booked a spot in the semifinals, where they lost 2-0 to the Seattle Sounders at home. 17 days prior, they lost 4-0 to the Sounders in league play. If they won the 3rd place game against Orlando, they’d qualify for the CONCACAF Champions’ Cup. With a 2-1 victory, they managed to find a bright spot in the middle of a truly awful season. Despite going 3-2-2 across their final 7 games, the Galaxy finished with a 7-9-18 record (30 points), which put them in 14th place in the West and 26th in the Shield. The worst title defense that MLS has ever seen.
However, there was one major reason why the Galaxy sank to the bottom of the table. Midfielder Riqui Puig missed the entire season with a torn ACL, and he was expected to return for the start of 2026. Those hopes were washed out when complications arose from his previous surgery, which necessitated a second operation and another full season on the sideline. That’s how LA’s offseason began. Surely the Galaxy would be able to recover from a horrendous post-Cup winter that saw several key contributors leave. Maybe this time they’d be able to strengthen in the offseason despite another lost year for their talisman.
But there was a major difference between Puig’s absences in 2025 and 2026. The Galaxy held some hope that he could return towards the end of 2025, so they never put him on the season-ending injury list. This complicated their roster build (amongst all the other roster-related chaos) so a replacement DP wasn’t able to arrive last winter. After the turbulence of 2025, the Galaxy kept it simple in 2026.
Miguel Berry, Diego Fagundez, and Eriq Zavaleta had their contract options declined. Disappointing center back Mathias Jorgensen (also known as Zanka) was bought out in early February. The Danish defender was completely redundant after the winter arrivals of Jakob Glesnes and Justin Haak. Glesnes, a former Defender of the Year, joined from Philadelphia for $1.1M in guaranteed GAM and $1.1M of conditional GAM. Haak was the prize of free agency; a converted defensive midfielder who excelled at center back in 2025 with NYCFC. He chose to switch coasts. Their intra-league shopping spree wasn’t finished yet. For a cash price of $2.375M, striker Joao Klauss arrived from St. Louis. The 29-year-old Brazilian’s contract expired at the end of 2026, which made him a perfect target for the Galaxy and their need to fill a DP slot for one season and one season only. Striker Matheus Nascimento returned for a second loan spell after an underwhelming 2025. To round out their additions, midfielder Erik Thommy came to LA in free agency. This roster was in a better place to start 2026 than it was to start 2025, but there were still holes. But a revamped defense was the key, and hopefully it would raise the floor.
The Galaxy (1-1-2, 4 points, 10W/17S) opened the season with a 1-1 aggregate victory (on away goals) against Panama’s Sporting San Miguelito in CCC. A 1-1 draw with NYCFC was sandwiched between both legs. They defeated Charlotte 3-0 the following weekend with all 3 goals coming within the opening 15 minutes of the game. Next, they went to Colorado. Klauss continued his hot start to the season by grabbing his 4th goal in 3 league games to tie the contest in the 56th minute. However, the bottom fell out when Gabriel Pec received a second yellow card four minutes later. The Rapids took advantage of the short-handed Galaxy and scored thrice in the final 15 minutes to win 4-1. Suboptimal from an LA perspective. But they had an opportunity to bounce back in CCC. The first leg of their Round of 16 tie against Jamaica’s Mount Pleasant ended in a 3-0 victory for the Galaxy at home. They stayed home on the weekend, but fell 2-1 to SKC while a suspended Pec watched from the stands. On Thursday, they played the second Round of 16 leg, and won 3-0. But that game is very interesting for a number of reasons.
You see, when the Galaxy was building their roster, they completely whiffed on adding winger depth. Pec and Joseph Paintsil (two key contributors to their 2024 title) began the season as the only two natural wingers on the depth chart. That’s very worrisome, especially if something were to happen to one of them. Well, in that Colorado game, Paintsil left early with an injury and Pec got sent off. That left the Galaxy without natural replacements for their game against SKC, which they lost. Pec was eligible for CONCACAF games, and played the full 90 in both legs against Mount Pleasant. But Paintsil remained injured on Thursday, so there’s a big hole on the left wing. LA’s offseason activity strengthened the defense, but it left their attack in serious trouble.
LAG Injury Report & Projected Starting XI
Glesnes picked up a calf strain in training this week and will be out for about a month. Paintsil is expected to miss another couple of weeks. Rindov started six games at center back down the stretch last year. Two key players and a high-quality backup.
Let’s begin with the players that started in Jamaica on Thursday. Klauss played 58 minutes, Sanabria played 74, Cerrillo played 66, while Haak and Pec went the full 90. Maya Yoshida was another starter and got subbed off after 66 minutes, but I think Garces’ speed will complement Haak’s distribution. Aude and Yamane didn’t see the field on Thursday, and neither did Reus. Micovic got rotated for JT Marcinkowski (the former San Jose goalkeeper that got victimized in 2021 by Dairon Asprilla). Thommy played the final 24 minutes plus stoppage time in Jamaica. The Galaxy do not have another natural winger to replace Paintsil. I’m very confident in this prediction, but Yoshida could start over Garces. The Galaxy are trying to avoid a 3rd consecutive loss in league play.
The Timbers Report
The loss in Houston was undoubtedly painful. But the Portland Timbers (1-0-3, 3 points, 14W/24S) have to bounce back on Sunday. Although injuries have already contributed quite enough to the story of 2026, they are facing an opponent that needs this win just as much as they do. Portland has played 15 consecutive league games without a clean sheet. They’re bumping up against the basement of the league. However, amidst all this desperation, there is something positive to take away. It looks like they’ll end the winter transfer window without a serious hole on the depth chart.
Transfer Window Closing
Jose Caicedo’s arrival filled the biggest need on the roster. Waiting for his visa to clear is one thing, but his transfer has been completed. Is there a position that necessitates the arrival of a starting-caliber player? I don’t think so.
The Timbers have locked in starters at left wing, attacking midfield, both central midfield spots, left back, right center back, and goalkeeper. Every other position not listed has multiple players that are in contention for the starting role, either due to early-season injuries or general competition for playing time. I do think that the roster could use another center back, but the pre-World Cup schedule doesn’t feature a ton of congestion and Eric Miller can play there if absolutely necessary. Central midfield is another thin area, but the Timbers have a short-term and long-term solution to that issue.
Academy graduate Eric Izoita has had quite a month. At the beginning of March, he was set to go to college at the University of Portland and hadn’t signed a contract with T2. That all changed when Cole Bassett got injured before the Vancouver game. The Timbers, now desperately thin in the midfield, were able to sign Izoita to a T2 contract and instantly exercise one of the four short-term loans so he could play against Vancouver. He scored Portland’s only goal and suddenly he had some long-term decisions to make. On Thursday, the club announced that Izoita signed a hybrid contract. He’ll spend the remainder of 2026 with T2 before becoming a full senior player in 2027. It’s just like Sawyer Jura’s deal. College isn’t for everyone, after all. Especially when they’re already contributing to the first team.
Tree Questions with Jimer Fory
I had the opportunity to sit down with Jimer Fory on Friday. Here’s this week’s edition of Tree Questions.
Q: How has this year’s preseason been different than last year’s?
A: I think when you compare this year to last year, last year was kind of an adaptation year. It was tough for me, the weather and getting accustomed to everything was hard, but this year, you know, it’s kind of evolutionized. I feel more comfortable, I feel like it comes more my way.
Q: What has been one thing that you’re proud of in your play so far this season and one thing that you want to work on?
A: I think everyday I have things that I can improve personally or as a group as far as the first 4 games of the year. I feel like I have a lot of things to improve, and it’s kind of like last year’s, you know, trying to manage the parts that I get and how it affects me having to miss out on games because of that. I can say I’ve been happy with how great this group is and the work that we’ve been doing and we’re going to focus on what’s more important, which is the upcoming matches.
Q: You’ve played against Gabriel Pec a couple of times before. What is the most difficult aspect to consider when going up against a player of his caliber?
A: You know the opportunities I’ve had to face him. I feel like I have done a decent job of grappling him. It’s no secret how good he is. So I think the plan is to continue to hold him down. Hold him back. Make sure we keep his talents under control. We want to focus on getting these three points in front of our fans, in front of our people. So we want to go after them.
PTFC Injury Report & Projected Starting XI
No need to re-litigate Fernandez’s and McGraw’s long-term injuries. However, I do find it odd that Caicedo has been completely ruled out unless it’s utterly impossible for him to secure a visa prior to kickoff. That’s the only thing that stands between the Colombian midfielder and making his Timbers debut. Mosquera returned to full training this week, and should return after the international break. Bassett trained separately on Friday, so I don’t expect him to play. Antony and Alex Bonetig have been cleared and are available for selection. So is James Pantemis, who suffered a brutal facial injury in a collision with Houston’s Nick Markanich last weekend. The Dynamo forward reportedly called Pantemis “soft” while the Canadian goalkeeper laid on the ground with blood pouring out of his face. 14 stitches and a face-mask later, he’s ready to play tomorrow.
In last weekend’s post-game press conference, Phil Neville said that the team was “finally in the structure that we wanted.” I would be very surprised to see any changes to that structure given that previous quote. The only personnel changes I foresee is Antony’s return to the starting lineup on the right wing and Kelsy getting his second start of the year. Portland’s bench will be much stronger, particularly if Bassett passes a fitness test prior to kickoff.
Tactical Preview
Press or No Press?
This is the defining question of tomorrow’s game. Should the Timbers press the Galaxy or should they form a solid block? Portland’s continued pressing struggles (bad triggers, bad shape, several other things) seem to indicate that a move towards a more solid block might be the right move. But this team wants to press, and apparently the plan is pretty easy to understand. “I feel like the plan we have is super clear,” Kristoffer Velde said on Tuesday. “And sometimes us players need to go into ourselves and look at what we did better, what we’re not doing right. So I think the tactics and everything is there and we just need to execute it.”
He’s not wrong. Especially if the shape from the Houston game gets re-implemented, the Timbers will have a better chance of success with the press. But it’s also worth noting how small the squad currently is. Injuries have decreased Portland’s available depth, and more pressing means more running. With a full squad, the Timbers could and should be able to keep an intense press for the majority of a game instead of brief moments. I think the right move for this game is to drop the line of confrontation and focus on drawing the Galaxy forward to hit them quickly on the counterattack.
Attack with Purpose
Now, in order to properly succeed on counters, the Timbers need to accomplish two things once they win the ball and opportunity calls. The first is getting as many players running forward as possible. Too many Portland counters have looked disjointed this season, and it’s often due to a lack of support runners. More players equals more passing options, and more passing options forces a retreating defense to track more attackers. The Timbers haven’t really forced opposing defenses to make quick decisions this year. Which is a perfect lead into the second key to a good counterattack.
Aside from the first half of the Columbus game, the Timbers have desperately lacked high tempo in possession. When it comes to counterattacks, they develop slowly and decisions are made slowly. Instincts take over in transition, and I’d urge the players to allow those instincts to get behind the wheel.
This also applies in buildup. The base of Portland’s buildup structure is built around both center backs and the goalkeeper. Usually, the first pass from this base is directly into the middle of the field with the next pass going out to the wings. I think that the Timbers should shift the order of those passes. Get the ball out wide first, allow the central players to flare out, and let the midfielders get on the ball when they’re farther from goal. That proposed sequence would allow the wide players (either a fullback or a winger) to instantly make an off-ball run forwards and put themselves in a good position to receive a penetrating pass. The base is usually responsible for line-breaking passes when they really shouldn’t be. Their primary goal should be finding an outlet to get the ball farther away from danger. A turnover on the wings is far less dangerous than a midfield loss of possession. It’s such a simple change, but it’s one that needs to be made. They’re just making life harder for themselves when they really don’t need to.
Adding tempo to buildup and counterattacks will provide some serious benefit to a Portland attack that has struggled to create during open play. They’re too ponderous and easy to read, and therefore they’re too easy to defend. Not a good combination with a defense that is easy to break apart.
Matchday Info
Broadcast Bulletin
English: Mark Rogondino & Heath Pearce
Spanish: Jorge Perez-Navarro & Marcelo Balboa
Home radio broadcast from 105.1 The Fan: available on Apple TV
Broadcast platform: Apple TV & FOX
Kickoff time: 1:30 (1:45) PM PST
Referee Report
Drew Fischer’s 2026 stats: 3 games, 26.33 fouls/game, 0 penalties/game, 3.33 yellows/game, 0 reds/game
Last Timbers game officiated: November 1st, 2025 vs. SD 2-2 D (3-2 PKs)
When Fischer is in charge of a Galaxy game, the Galaxy are 2-6-14. That’s very noticeable. However, during Game 2 against San Diego, he had a very subpar performance and refused to discipline wave after wave of Plasticos that swarmed him after every whistle or flop. I don’t know what kind of officiating performance we’re going to get tomorrow. Usually Fischer is one of the top referees in the league. Hopefully he can rediscover his previous form. I also don't need to mention the absolute injustice that the Timbers suffered during this fixture last season. Avoiding another Asterisk is another key concern (although the Timbers do not have any control over those kinds of scenarios).
Series History
Historical record: 14-10-14, +7 goal differential
Home record: 9-5-4, +16 goal differential
Current streak: 3 unbeaten
Current home streak: 3 unbeaten
Table Time
By the time this game kicks off, the Timbers could be in 15th place if St. Louis manages to beat New England on Saturday. Every game this weekend is an intra-conference matchup aside from that aforementioned St. Louis game. This table is going to look very different by the end of the weekend. And the Timbers have to win.
Final Whistle
Tomorrow, the Timbers will wear their Civic Stadium kits at home for the first time. There is a theme for tomorrow’s game: Soccer City USA Day. The first 15,000 fans inside the stadium will receive a Portland flag. Is it time for a vexillology detour?
This flag rocks. It’s awesome. On December 17, 1969, it became the official flag of Portland, Oregon (not this exact design). Because Portlanders love to complain, it was initially criticized for not including a rose or a design of Mount Hood. However, other people thought it looked like the flag of a “Socialist country.” That wasn’t the worst critique that this flag had to endure. An organization called “Mothers for Children” (definitely a group where the kids despised their parents) called it “a fallen cross symbolizing the anti-Christ.” Little did those people know that they would have (and probably did, if they were still alive) vote for the actual anti-Christ in three different presidential elections. The green represents forests, the yellow represents “agriculture and commerce,” and the blue represents “our rivers.” All three of these colors (white is not a color, it’s the absence of color) combined to form a unique design and a banner that should be on the same tier as Chicago’s flag.
It’s been a pretty good weekend to be a Portlander, especially from a sporting perspective. The NCAA Tournament came to town, which is always a special occasion. Since the NCAA is hell-bent on trying to make every arena unrecognizable, they truck in a new court with slight alterations from city to city. However, if you happened to catch Portland’s tournament games on TV, you could instantly recognize the unique look that the Rose Garden has on a broadcast.
In this photo, you can’t see the red seats that are currently filled by Wisconsin fans that are about to enter a state of heartbreak that only March can provide. The dimmer lighting creates an illusion that cigarette smoke has somehow infiltrated the arena. No other NBA arena looks like this. Basketball is a sport that prizes uniformity on the court and in the seats. I think the concert configuration (known as the “Theater of the Clouds”) enforces this uniqueness through that moniker. Two more NCAA games will be played at this arena before it returns to its usual duties as the host of the Portland Trail Blazers, who welcome the spectacular Brooklyn Nets to town on Monday night. That scheduling has created something just as unique as the Rose Garden; a perfect Portland sports weekend.
College basketball ruled the day on Thursday, which cleared the way for the Portland Thorns to take the stage on Friday night. They hosted the Seattle Reign in their home opener, which is something that should be outlawed by future schedule-makers. Facing a rival in the first home game of the season is ridiculous, especially if the resulting match is the most important rivalry in the NWSL. The Thorns were fresh off a season-opening upset of the Washington Spirit, and a record crowd filled their 100-year-old home to see them take on their hated neighbors to the north. I sat in the East Vista (AKA the Duracell Deck), which promptly erupted in a sea of boos when referee Elvis Osmanovic awarded defensive midfielder Cassandra Bogere with a controversial red card in the 9th minute (one minute after she was booked for an undoubtedly yellow-card worthy challenge). The veracity of the foul was very much in question, but I didn’t have a problem with it. In order for this game to enter a legendary status, Bogere had to be sacrificed.
Pietra Tordin gave the Thorns the lead in the 28th minute with a flicked header from an Olivia Moultrie corner kick. Nine minutes later, the short-handed Thorns struck again. Moultrie broke Seattle’s disorganized lines with a pass to Tordin, who laid it off to a streaking Reilyn Turner who carried it into the box and chipped Claudia Dickey to double Portland’s lead. 10 players were on the pitch, and the Thorns were up 2-0. The referee continued to do them no favors when a VAR review was initiated in the 55th minute. This review was not shown to the attendees, so a cheer arose when Osmanovic went to the monitor. They had no idea that the review was for a relatively minor hair-pull from Reyna Reyes. Because this night had to be absolutely legendary, Reyes became the second sacrifice. For the remainder of the game, the Thorns fielded 9 players. Reign head coach Laura Harvey asked ChatGPT what she should do in such an advantageous situation, and the AI chatbot responded by telling her to encourage whipped crosses from the wing. That feat of stupidity allowed Sam Hiatt, Isabella Obaze, Jayden Perry, Marie Muller, and M.A. Vignola to clear every delivery in their vicinity. 3rd-string goalkeeper Morgan Messner, making her first home start, claimed cross after cross that entered her penalty area. Jessie Fleming owned every bit of ground outside the box, making tackle after tackle and recovery after recovery to repeatedly nullify threats. It was a full team victory, and the most legendary Dos a Cero I’ve ever seen. To be fair, I’m sure that the people of Seattle won’t be too upset. Most of them are still completely unaware that they even have a professional women’s soccer team.
Saturday brings two more NCAA Tournament games to the Rose Garden, but the centerpiece event will take place on Sunday afternoon when the Timbers welcome the Galaxy to town. The mood in their century-old home will be completely different than the atmosphere that the Thorns enjoyed on Friday night. But the Timbers have the opportunity to bring the noise back.
I’ve always been a Timbers optimist. I always believe that this team is good and will win their home games. That belief has been challenged in recent years. After all, as a wise man once said, I do not watch soccer to be sad. Some people will enter Providence Park tomorrow with the intent of watching soccer to be mad. It cannot be understated how much the Timbers have to win this game.
Quieting the boo birds is one thing, but the Timbers are about to head into an international break. Finn Surman, Kamal Miller, and Alexander Aravena will travel to far-away lands (like Toronto) to be with their countrymen and play for the flag of their homeland. The Timbers will be handing out 15,000 flags representing their own homeland: the city of Portland. Above all else, these players have to play for that glorious flag tomorrow. Los Angeles is the behemoth of the American West Coast, populated by people who only care about their teams when those teams are successful. Portland only has three (soon to be four) professional sports teams to give them joy, with some more successful at achieving that outcome than others.
Their most successful team embarrassed their rivals on Friday night with 9 players on the pitch. No Oregon-based college qualified for the NCAA Tournament this year, but an influx of parody college attendees (High Point) and a massive built-in fanbase (BYU) brought their pride and hopes to Portland this week. I’d urge Timbers fans to take heed from their example. Bring your pride and hopes to the stadium tomorrow and try to believe that good things will happen, even if your better judgement tells you otherwise. Tomorrow isn’t just a day for the Timbers, it’s a day for the entire city. Encourage them. Cheer for them. Lift their spirits so they can enter this upcoming international break on a high note. Their opponents are just as desperate as they are. But those opposing players do not have an entire city behind them.
Fans can only do so much. The team has to follow suit as well. With an upcoming schedule that would strike fear even into the strongest squads, three points are an absolute necessity. For the players, the fans, the city, and the story of their season. The climb continues.
