The regular-season Western Conference champs one week followed by the 2018 MLS Cup finalists the next. Welcome to the MLS season.
LAFC kicked off 2019 with a exhilirating 2-1 victory over Sporting KC at Banc of California Stadium last Sunday. And the MLS schedule maker's reward for that? Hosting the Portland Timbers the following week.
LAFC vs Portland Timbers
Week in and week out in MLS, teams are tested. If LAFC and Portland's recent history is any indication, Sunday will once again be another big examination of Bob Bradley's team to start 2019.
Let's take a look at LAFC versus the Portland Timbers at Banc of California Stadium in Matchday 2:
Where To Watch/Listen
LAFC vs. Portland Timbers, March 10 at 4:30pm PT
TV: FS1, Fox Deportes
Radio: ESPNLA 710, KFWB 980
Opponent Form
Not sure what you can make of Portland's first match of the season. The Timbers were up 3-2 in the dying moments of a contest that looked more like a hockey game. Andre Shinyashiki snuck in at the back post to bring Colorado level in the fourth minute of stoppage time.
What The Team Is Saying
Tyler Miller on the budding rivalry with Portland: "Over last year, we played them in the league and then we played them midweek. Those two back-to-back games with them created this heated rivalry, not in terms of geographically, but in terms of us being really familiar with each other... it's always going to create a high-tension game because you know that you are going to see the same faces within the span of days or a week. With Portland, especially, we have that type of respect for each other because we both know we are top clubs. At the same time, we see them and respect them but we know they are a strong team that likes to fight and we are right there with them. "
LAFC Projected Starting XI
(4-3-3): Tyler Miller; Jordan Harvey, Eddie Segura, Walker Zimmerman, Steven Beitashour; Eduard Atuesta, Mark-Anthony Kaye, Lee Nguyen; Diego Rossi, Christian Ramirez, Carlos Vela.
What To Watch For
Raising The Level Over Consecutive Weeks: From top to bottom, the win over SKC was probably the most complete performance in LAFC history. The Black & Gold were in good positions without the ball, controlled the match with the ball at times, executed in key moments, and rose to the intensity of the match. All those things are necessary week in and week out though. So while it's great for the home opener, how do you follow it up the next week? We'll learn even more about the team's mentality if they are able to maintain that level of focus in consecutive weeks.
Breaking Down: Last season, Portland came to Banc of California Stadium determined to not concede. They put 10 and sometimes 11 players behind the ball in a low block and basically said, "Come at us, bro." LAFC struggled to find ideas to get through Portland's tactics and the match ended 0-0. With the Timbers starting their first 12 matches on the road in 2019 - Providence Park is currently undergoing a revamp - expect them to adopt much of that same approach in an effort to squeeze the life out of matches. LAFC will need to be patient and on the same page to break down the Timbers.
Don't Get Stretched: On the flipside of breaking down Portland, teams can't overexert themselves going forward. With Diego Valeri and Sebastian Blanco begging for out balls to run at unbalanced defenses, LAFC needs to be aware of how they move up the pitch and stay connected positionally with the ball. Portland's invitation to teams to get forward is with the goal in mind to open up spaces for their attackers. An awareness to positions in transitional moments defensively will be paramount to a successful second match for LAFC.
