The Portland Timbers extended their unbeaten run to seven games with a 3-3 draw against the host Los Angeles Galaxy on Saturday.
The Timbers (11-11-10, 43 points), who had won four in a row, are 5-0-2 in their past seven matches.
The Galaxy (8-11-11, 35 points) played to a draw for the second straight match and has earned points in seven of their past eight (3-1-4).
Portland opened the scoring in the fifth minute. Dairon Asprilla won a race for the ball down the right side against Raheem Edwards, collecting it at the end line before dishing a cross to Santiago Moreno, who hammered it home from inside the six-yard box for a 1-0 lead.
Eriq Zavaleta connected on a header off a corner to bring Los Angeles level in the 10th minute. It was his first MLS goal since 2017, then with Toronto FC.
Both sides then settled into the match for much of the remainder of the opening half until the floodgates opened late in the frame.
The Timbers went ahead 2-1 in the 38th minute. A short-pass give-and-go between Moreno and Felipe Mora just outside the box ended with Mora’s shot hitting Zavaleta and bouncing into the net.
Five minutes later, the Galaxy responded yet again. Portland midfielder Noel Caliskan tried to clear Marky Delgado’s pass attempt inside the box but the ball hit Edwards and bounced out to Douglas Costa at the top edge of the box for a quick strike high into the back of the net to tie 2-2.
Zavaleta put Los Angeles ahead 3-2 in the first minute of first-half stoppage time with a header off a free kick taken by Costa.
Maya Yoshida had two opportunities from near the penalty spot in the 53rd minute to add to the Galaxy’s lead. His first attempt was blocked, and he collected the rebound but the shot went wide.
Goalkeeper Jonathan Bond maintained his side’s one-goal advantage in the 55th minute, getting his fingertips on a shot by Mora to deflect it over the net.
Mora beat Bond in the 76th minute from the top of the six to tie it 3-3.
–Field Level Media
