HIGHLIGHTS- LA Galaxy vs. Portland Timbers - September 30, 2023

It's a huge missing piece and then you also have Mavinga who went out in the first half of their last game with an injury. Zavaleta steps in for him in the back line. Only one change in this one for a team that's in fantastic form right now. 5-1-1 under Miles Joseph. Christian Paredes steps into that midfield three. And we're underway here at Dignity Hill Sports Park. Glad to have you along here for match day 35 in Major League Soccer. Pete Pearce and Mark Rogandino with you as the Galaxy in all white attack from right to left across your screen. How they're going to play or how they're going to go about getting results. Esprit is another one that's coming off of a two assist performance against Colorado. Touch there for Mora and this is Esprit entering in the edge of the area. Back post ball. Bang, bang, bang. It's 1-0 Portland. That didn't take long and Esprit tonight the celebration as the visitors take the lead. Just a phenomenal quick combination play. Direct good first touch lays it down. Esprit gets in behind the back line and this where he puts his head up sees that run and is able to just slot that one across and you again see the build up in the timing of this. That first touch is phenomenal and then of course across the middle Santi Moreno just makes that commitment to get in the box. One of the things Miles Joseph has talked about is his ability to play in multiple positions playing up underneath. Here old Brazilian drops over to this near corner he'll whip it into the penalty spot headed on Freeman what a start to the match. Zabaleta. One duel you see Zabaleta free himself up and as that ball makes its way down you see a header missed from Zuparic and there's Zabaleta just waiting for it feet on the ground frees himself up just redirects that back across Bingham heads it perfectly. Fourth appearance for him stepping on here tonight as a first half sub. Mosquera trying to get away from Tyler Boyd he does inside for Moreno back for Mora deflected and in. A bit of luck this time but either way it's Portland back in front and we'll see if Felipe Mora gets credit for his fifth of the year. Known goal but good quick combination play Mosquera drives forward quick play back into Mora who looks like he's hitting it across and just getting really good quick combination play between Moreno Mora that redirection that deflection doesn't allow Bond to set his feet or shift over and unfortunately for the Galaxy goes in for a goal but just sitting out on the sidelines waiting for a ball that he can whip into the box you want to get him more touches and more involved in the game he needs to be that key playmaker for this team here tonight. Yet this season in Major League Soccer he's a creator fantastic run from Mark Delgado cuts that back across a misclearance falls to Douglas Costa and he smacks it with the left foot he directs it high down the middle Bingham's got no ability to come across in time because of that deflection and just before half puts the team back on level footing with a screamer up the middle 2-2. It's just a knock knowing he's had a hand injury clearly not wearing that brain out he had that big bulky brace if you remember for a few weeks early in the season Costa to deliver it it's on side for now it's one back. This might be his best moment of the night look at this ball he's on side all the way Zamoleta after the own goal decides he's going to put the game on his shoulders again you know Costa's going to put him in a good spot. Sharp battling for it over there it'll cycle back around ensuing ball headed away by Zach McGrath. Edwards kept it alive in front first time no second time wide off of the left foot of Yoshida. Raheem Edwards with a good first touch Sharp cuts it back to Yoshida who gets one not just one chance but two just has to put that second one on frame first one looks like it's going in the goal. Portland had a little bit of trouble defending them maybe can they pull a card from that book and find something here because we're almost 10 minutes gone here in the second half. Moreno to deliver the ball looking for Felipe and Mora just hit it perfectly but a big time save from Jonathan Bond. You see here just the out swinger again and Mora makes that committed run with a number of defenders all around him to free himself up. Cuevas trying to knot it inside loose ball finds the feet of Bravo who quickly zips it out for Blanco early ball lane comes all the way across deflecting it from Mora he scored the game winner last week and tonight he equalizes in the second half that he got the match winner again Portland Timbers doing really well not to allow the LA Galaxy to get out of the back ball falls the bully goes down to his feet again Mora continues to follow the ball tracking it all the way gets there first slides puts it on frame and while everyone else was trying to react he was first to it puts it in the top corner 3-3 and boy was he brave to get in there there was bodies coming from all sides and there's the final whistle so the teams as they did back in late March up at Providence Park they shared the points with a nil-nil draw on March the 25th tonight