LAFC collected its first road point of the season on Saturday afternoon, playing to a 2-2 draw with the Portland Timbers at Providence Park. Mateusz Bogusz scored both goals for LAFC, tallying on either side of halftime, for the first multi-goal game of his MLS career, helping his team earn the draw.
LAFC is now 3-3-2 on the season for 11 points, leaving the club tied for third place in the Western Conference and two points behind the first-place Vancouver Whitecaps.
Portland went in front in the 11th minute when Evander clipped a ball into the box for Felipe Mora who was able to get the slightest of touches on it, directing it past LAFC goalkeeper Hugo Lloris and just inside the far post to give the home side a 1-0 advantage.
The score was level eleven minutes later when Bogusz scored his first goal of the game.Timothy Tillman collected the ball in the center of the park and played a through ball between the Portland defense for Bogusz, who took two touches before firing a left-footed shot past former LAFC goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau, tying the score at 1-1.
The Timbers were back in front just before halftime when Evander, who had set up his team’s opening goal, scored Portland’s second. Juan Mosquera found Evander inside the box and he settled the pass on his chest before firing a shot into the net from close range, giving his team a 2-1 lead heading into the break.
Just three minutes after the restart, the Timbers were reduced to 10 men as Crépeau was sent off for a foul on Denis Bouanga just outside the box. From the resulting free kick, Bogusz fired a shot that got over the wall and under the crossbar, tying the score at 2-2.
Over the final 40 minutes of the game, both sides were able to create a number of chances, but neither was able to break the deadlock and the game would finish 2-2.
LAFC will return to action on Saturday, April 20, when they host the New York Red Bulls at BMO Stadium. That game, which kicks off at 7:30 p.m. PT, can be seen live on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV and on 710 AM ESPN LA, 980 AM La Mera Mera (Esp) and SiriusXM FC.
NEWS & NOTES
- LAFC is now 5-5-6 in 16 all-time regular season meetings, including a 2-4-2 mark in Portland.
- LAFC head coach Steve Cherundolo started the same starting XI for the fourth consecutive game.
- Ten LAFC players have started all eight of the club’s games this season.
- LAFC has scored in five of its eight games this season. Timothy Tillman has scored or assisted on the opening goal in each of those contests.
- Tillman now has three goals and two assists in eight games this season. He finished 2023 with four goals and one assist in 25 regular-season games.
- In addition to being his MLS-career-high, Tillman’s two assists are tied for the team lead. Eduard Atuesta and Denis Bouanga also have two assists this season.
- Mateusz Bogusz scored both goals for LAFC, giving him three on the season. He is now tied with Bouanga and Tillman for the team lead.
- With three goals, Bogusz has tied his total from 2023, his first season with LAFC, when he had three goals in 28 regular-season games.
- This was the first multi-goal game for Bogusz in an LAFC shirt, and the second by an LAFC player this season after Denis Bouanga scored twice in the 5-0 win over Nashville SC on March 23.
- In the prior 15 regular-season meetings between LAFC and Portland, no player had ever scored more than a single goal in a game before Bogusz scored twice today.
