Galaxy Misses Early Opportunity After Portland’s Red Card in Draw
PORTLAND, Ore. — Portland Timbers forward Kristoffer Velde opened the scoring in the 13th minute against the LA Galaxy, but a red card issued to defender Kamal Miller seven minutes later complicated matters for the home team. Despite the setback, goalkeeper James Pantemis ensured a 1-1 draw by conceding only to João Klauss during the match on Sunday.
Velde’s goal marked his second of the season, propelling Portland (1-3-1) to a brief lead. The dynamics of the match shifted dramatically in the 20th minute when Miller was shown a red card for a foul on Klauss, putting the Timbers at a disadvantage.
Antony Alves Santos and Joao Ortiz recorded assists on Velde’s goal, with Santos achieving his first assist of the season and Ortiz collecting his second.
Klauss equalized for the Galaxy in the 30th minute, scoring with support from teammates Marco Reus and Gabriel Pec. This marked Klauss’s fifth goal of the season, highlighting his crucial role in filling the gap left by injured star Riqui Puig for the second consecutive year. Previously, Klauss spent three seasons with St. Louis City, netting 25 goals in 79 appearances.
Reus, following a standout season last year with a career-high nine assists, earned his first assist of the current campaign. Pec’s contribution was his third assist in the early stages of the season.
Pantemis recorded six saves for the Timbers, including four in the first half, while his counterpart for LA, JT Marcinkowski, made two saves in his first start of the season.
Historically, the Galaxy lead the overall series with a record of 14-12-11, although they have struggled in Portland, holding a 5-10-11 record in away matches. Last season, the two teams also drew 1-1 in Portland, before the Timbers claimed a 4-2 victory in their subsequent encounter.
Looking ahead, the Galaxy will host Minnesota at Dignity Health Sports Park on April 4.
