Phil Neville is trying ahead to a fast reunion with Los Angeles FC when the Portland Timbers head all the way down to southern California.
The Timbers face LAFC on Saturday, simply two weeks after they drew 2-2 with Steve Cherundolo’s staff at dwelling.
Felipe Mora and Evander scored for Portland that day, however Mateusz Bogusz’s double ensured a share of the spoils, with the Timbers having goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau despatched off.
LAFC had a aim disallowed late on, and Neville believes each groups will really feel they deserved extra from that match.
He stated: “Each managers got here out of the sport two weeks in the past feeling onerous achieved by – they’d a aim disallowed in the previous couple of minutes, we had been actually disillusioned too within the efficiency of the referee.
“Saturday’s one other recreation the place now we have to go for it. Whenever you play groups actually shut collectively, there’s not a lot scouting, there’s solely been one recreation between, so it’s about remembering the nice issues we did and the way we are able to trigger issues.”
Portland drew 2-2 with the Columbus Crew final outing, and Neville is happy with the extent on present from his facet, who sit down in eleventh within the Western Convention.
“We took a whole lot of confidence out of the sport in opposition to Columbus,” he stated.
“We got here up with possibilities to win the sport, however we had been overwhelmed by an unbelievable aim. The boys are in actually fine condition, they’re trying ahead to the sport on Saturday – my first journey to LAFC so I’m trying ahead to that. It’s one other sensible recreation in opposition to a very good staff. We performed them a few weeks in the past. We all know one another, each groups know one another.”
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— Diego Chara (@DiegoChara21) April 25, 2024
PLAYERS TO WATCH
LAFC – Denis Bouanga
Bouanga scored each of LAFC’s targets in opposition to the New York Purple Bulls final outing, together with the equaliser in stoppage time. It was the eighth time Bouanga has scored a number of targets in an MLS match for the reason that begin of final season (incl. playoffs). No different participant has greater than 4 multi-goal video games in that point.
Portland Timbers – Felipe Mora
Mora has scored in every of his final 4 appearances for the Timbers, although Portland haven’t gained any of these matches (D3 L1). Mora is the fifth participant within the post-shootout period (since 2000) to attain in 4 straight matches however not be on the profitable facet in any of them.
MATCH PREDICTION: LAFC WIN
LAFC are unbeaten in eight straight dwelling matches (W6 D2) in all competitions. They’ve scored a number of targets in seven of these eight matches.
Nevertheless, LAFC have gained solely two of their final 10 regular-season matches in opposition to the Timbers (D4 L4).
The Timbers have scored in all 14 conferences with LAFC in league play since 2019 whereas LAFC have scored in 13 of these 14.
Portland are winless in six straight matches (D3 L3), together with drawing the final three in a row. The Timbers have solely three longer winless runs inside a single common season, most not too long ago an eight-match run in March-April 2014.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
LAFC – 56.2%
Portland Timbers – 19.5%
Draw – 24.3%