Lineups:

Kevin Cabral makes his first start for the G’s.

Portland bring back Diego Valeri for the start in this one.

The LA Galaxy put their two-game winning run to the test on Saturday afternoon, when they will face the Portland Timbers at Providence Park, the teams’ first meeting of the 2021 season.

Both teams are coming off 2-0 wins last weekend, the Galaxy beating Austin FC at home, the Timbers downing the San Jose Earthquakes on the road. On balance I’d say the Galaxy are off to a better start overall, mainly because the fixture congestion to open the season for Portland led to them having a truly eye-popping number of injuries. For example, for this game, Jeff Attinella (thigh), Sebastian Blanco (thigh), Diego Chara (thigh), Steve Clark (thigh), Ish Jome (Achilles), Larrys Mabiala (thigh), Jaroslaw Niezgoda (ACL), and Cristhian Paredes (thigh) are all listed out for the game, with only Jalen Neal (listed as questionable) on LA’s injury report.

But it’s not all doom and gloom for the Timbers. Losing their first three goalkeepers on the depth chart, they had to go with lanky teenager Hunter Sault for a couple games and he is probably not ready for MLS yet. So they brought in Logan Ketterer on loan from El Paso Locomotive, and Ketterer had a terrific debut last week, stopping a Chris Wondolowski penalty and posting a road shutout. The Galaxy have been good this season, but I think Ketterer is legit and therefore LA did not get a break in that respect.

I know I always say this but this is going to be a good test for the Galaxy, going on the road and trying to keep the good times rolling. The Timbers are a wily, veteran team and so they could very well pull out a win even missing several key players, but under the circumstances I think the Galaxy have to think they can spring a good result in this one. Should be a fascinating clash.

Odds:

According to our friends at DraftKings Sportsbook, as of Friday evening, LA are (+290), Portland are (+215) and a draw is at (+265). So the Galaxy are major underdogs for this one and I have to say, I’m very surprised! I think you could get good value for picking the G’s here.

How to Watch:

Saturday’s match between LA and Portland will be televised nationally on ABC and ESPN Deportes, which you can watch on FuboTV. The TV broadcast is scheduled to start at 12:30 pm PT with kickoff to follow at 12:38 pm.

Come chat about the game with us in the comment section below!

Vox Media has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence editorial content, though Vox Media may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links.