2018 MLS Match Preview: Los Angeles Football Club vs. Portland Timbers

LAFC vs. Portland Timbers 2018 MLS Regular Season — Week 20 Banc of California Stadium — Los Angeles July 15 - 6 pm ET WATCH: ESPN, TSN2

Something has to give Sunday when LAFC, which is unbeaten in eight games at Banc of California Stadium, host a Portland Timbers side that is undefeated in their last 11 games.

LAFC won for the fourth time in five consecutive games without defeat on Saturday, knocking off Orlando City SC, 4-1, while the Timbers defeated the San Jose Earthquakes, 2-1, for their second straight win.

This is the second meeting between the teams, with Portland pulling out a 2-1 home win on May 19 with Samuel Armenteros netting the 81st-minute winner.

Los Angeles Football Club

For the third time in the last five games, LAFC (10-4-4) scored four goals and again Adama Diomande paced the leagues second most potent attack.

Diomande and Latif Blessing scored four minutes apart as LAFC took a 2-0 lead into halftime. After Sacha Kljestan pulled Orlando within a goal in the 58th minute, Diomande netted his second of the game, and ninth in just five games, before Diego Rossi closed out the scoring two minutes later.

“Tonight there was a hell of a lot of good football, but when its 2-0 we still want to make it three and four and five, but we want to do it in a way that doesnt become 2-1 and 2-2 so it’s a fine line,” Bob Bradley said. “But there’s so many good things that I’m going to smile and continue to try to push things forward.”

Projected Starting XI (4-3-3, right to left) GK: Tyler Miller — Steven Beitashour, Walker Zimmerman, Laurent Ciman, Jordan Harvey — Benny Feilhaber, Lee Nguyen, Carlos Vela — Latif Blessing, Adama Diomande, Diego Rossi

Portland Timbers

After scoring the winner against Seattle Sounders FC, Armenteros struck for both goals in a 2-1 win over San Jose Saturday at home.

Armenteros netted his first goal in the 14th minute and put Portland (8-3-5) up by two goals in the 53rd minute as Diego Valeri picked up his second assist of the game and fifth in the last two wins.

However the Timbers had to sweat out the win when Florian Jungwirth cut the Quakes deficit in half three minutes from full time.

“It was important for us to perform today,” Giovanni Savarese said. “I thought for the majority of the match we did a lot of good things, we created good chances. But then we didnt capitalize on those chances and then at the end of the game we suffered a little bit.”

Projected Starting XI (4-3-2-1, right to left) GK: Jeff Attinella — Alvas Powell, Larrys Mabiala, Julio Cascante, Zarek Valentin — Diego Chara, Lawrence Olum, Andres Flores  — Diego Valeri, Dairon Asprilla — Samuel Armenteros

All-Time Series

This is the second all-time meeting with the Portland Timbers beating LAFC, 2-1, at Providence Park on May 19.

Officials

Referee: Silviu Petrescu Assistant Referees: Jason White, Ian Anderson 4th Official: Drew Fischer VAR: Dave Gantar