CARSON >> A win Sunday against Portland would have clinched the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference for the Galaxy. Instead, the Galaxy lost 5-2 at home to the sixth-place Timbers.
After the Galaxy put up five goals on the Timbers in a shutout in June, Portland scored five goals in the second half Sunday at StubHub Center. It was the most goals conceded by the Galaxy at home in a league match since a 6-3 loss to FC Dallas on Sept. 12, 2009, and the first time this season the Galaxy have lost after taking a lead at halftime.
“They dominated us in the second half and deserved to win the game,” head coach Bruce Arena said. “Their desire to win that game and fight and work was much greater than ours.”
Portland unleashed an offensive onslaught in the second half, firing 12 shots to the Galaxy’s eight and finding the back of the net on all five of its shots on goal.
Facing a 1-0 deficit at halftime after Robbie Keane scored in the 36th minute, Portland fired five shots in the first 10 minutes after the break. A friendly crossbar helped the Galaxy in the 50th minute after a header from Liam Ridgewell off a corner kick clanked off the woodwork.
Portland finally broke the L.A. defense in the 65th minute when Fanendo Adi took a pass from Lucas Melano in the box and finished with his left foot for the equalizer.
Adi struck again three minutes later after he and defender Dan Gargan, who was making his first start since July 25, collided in the box and Gargan was called for the foul. Adi slipped his penalty kick underneath a diving Donovan Ricketts to give the Timbers the lead.
Diego Chara headed in a goal in the 74th minute to make it 3-1.
“The first half, we were playing really well, we were looking good, we were working hard,” defender Omar Gonzalez said. “The second half, a totally different story. We just fell apart. The effort just wasn’t there from top to bottom.”
Keane started what looked like a rally for the Galaxy as he nodded in a goal off a free kick in the 84th minute, but Portland struck again just seconds after the reset. Darlington Nagbe gathered the ball in the left side of the box, easily worked around Omar Gonzalez and past a sliding Ricketts and killed the Galaxy’s comeback.
Maximiliano Urruti added the final goal for Portland in the 90th minute.
The Galaxy finish the regular season at Sporting Kansas City on Oct. 25 and still need just a win to clinch the second seed in the Western Conference, but can drop down as far as sixth without a win.
“We still have the chance to go there and get the three points and still claim the second spot,” Keane said. “The good thing about football is there’s always another game.”
