LAFC is familiar with Portland’s extended wait for home opener

The Los Angeles Football Club does not care how last season’s MLS Cup runner-up feels ahead of its 2019 home opener this weekend at Providence Park in downtown Portland.

Though LAFC can empathize with at least half of what the Portland Timbers experienced over the first three months of this Major League Soccer season.

Following six consecutive away matches to begin its expansion year in 2018, LAFC eagerly settled into Banc of California Stadium and went 10 straight home matches without a loss to help secure a playoff spot in its first season.

Awaiting the reintroduction of its home grounds on Saturday, the Timbers, sitting 10th out of 12 teams in the Western Conference, must defend their fortress to earn as many points as they can and land a spot in the 2019 postseason.

With 17 of Portland’s 22 remaining Major League Soccer regular season matches set to take place on the newly installed artificial turf field inside a 93-year-old venue that underwent $85 million in privately-funded renovations over the past eight months – necessitating the MLS-record stint for road games to start the season – Timbers supporters can feel positive about where their team sits in the league table.

“We give Portland credit,” LAFC head coach Bob Bradley said. “Twelve games away is an awful lot. We thought six was a big number, so they doubled it. I think they’ve handled it quite well. They didn’t start great but have found a good way of doing things.”

In Week 2, the Timbers visited Banc of California Stadium. A 4-1 loss commenced a string of five straight road defeats for a team that continues to rely on key pieces of the 2015 squad that won the club’s lone MLS Cup.

The early March contest featured the first of Carlos Vela’s league-leading 15 goals to go along with two of his MLS-best nine assists. As the two sides prepare for the rematch, Vela’s combined 24 goals and assists through 15 games are the most by any player in the league over the past 24 seasons, putting the 30-year-old LAFC captain on pace for the most productive regular season in MLS history.

Vela’s immense individual success has unfolded as the team around him jelled in all phases of the game, propelling the Black & Gold to the top of almost every category in the league at the midway point of the season before a monthlong spell between MLS matches.

Meanwhile, the closest thing the Timbers have to a Vela is a Valeri.

A goal and an assist during Portland’s 3-1 win at Philadelphia last week, the Timbers’ fourth win in their last six matches, is the type of impact that 33-year-old Argentine midfielder Diego Valeri has made since joining Portland in 2013.

Partnering with Colombian defensive midfielder Diego Chara, the duo were critical to the Timbers’ MLS Cup run in 2015 as well as their return to the title match last year.

Recently-acquired Argentine attacker Brian Fernandez joins Portland as a Designated Player, and has scored three times in the team’s last two matches.

A key to Saturday’s contest will be Portland’s ability (or inability) to fend off LAFC’s counter-press, particularly in the middle against Latif Blessing, Eduard Atuesta and Mark-Anthony Kaye, each of whom have also contributed five assists.

“You have to have the mentality to play with them,” Blessing said. “When someone is good with their feet you have to press him. When you press him he’s not going to do anything. That’s what Bob told us.”

Home or away, LAFC has dominated, collecting 20 more points than Portland thus far while losing just once in seven road matches while outscoring opponents 16-5 in those games.

Facing down the Supporters’ Shield standings leader in front of a capacity crowd of 25,218, an increase of just over 4,000 seats after the east side stands in Providence Park added three tiers, the Timbers (4-6-2, 14 points) will seek their 16th consecutive home opener without a defeat.

“Portland’s counting on a celebration and we’ve got to be a team that goes with a strong mentality to still take it all in, enjoy it, find a way to play the way we always play,” Bradley said. “But it will be a challenge for us.”

—– LAFC at PORTLAND TIMBERS —–

Kickoff: Saturday, 7:30 p.m.; Providence Park

TV: ESPN2, ESPN Deportes

Radio: 710 AM, 980 AM

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