LAFC and Portland Timbers Game Ends 1-1 at Banc Of California Stadium

LAFC #7 Latif Blessing (Forward) on the attack against the Portland Timbers. Photo by Nick Koza/TGSportstv1.

LOS ANGELES, CA - Yimmi Chara scored with a bicycle kick for the second time in two weeks to give the Portland Timbers a 1-0 lead, and LAFC's star attacker Carlos Vela was substituted out for precautionary reasons at the start of the second half, putting the club in a difficult position.

However, the home team was given a red card for Portland and had plenty of excellent opportunities to at least secure a draw. Mamadou "Mbacke" Fall gave LAFC the goal in the third minute of second-half stoppage time, and the LAFC and Timbers tied 1-1 on Sunday night in Los Angeles.

LAFC #5 Mamadou Fall (Defender) goal tied the game 1-1 against the Portland Timbers. Photo by Nick Koza/TGSportstv1.

In the 62nd minute, the game changed. Claudio Bravo, a defender for the Timbers, extended his arm to block LAFC's Cristian Arango (1-0-1, 4 points), earning him his second yellow card of the contest and ejecting him from the match.

As a result, Portland (0-0-2, 2 points) was forced to play the remainder of the game with a man down, and the Timbers received seven yellow cards overall. In the second half, even the head coach Gio Savarese received one.

However, the Timbers held out against attack after attack until very close to the end.

Early on, the Timbers had more opportunities; in the 13th minute, LAFC goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau stopped Chara's attempt. However, despite his best efforts, Crepeau was unable to recover in time to halt Chara's gymnastics in the 18th.

Prior to that, the Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) was forced to make an early substitute when Franco Escobar left the game due to an injury and was replaced by Ryan Hollingshead.

Hollingshead, who joined LAFC from FC Dallas, was one of the club's key additions prior to this campaign. Both Crepeau and Kellyn Acosta were Colorado Rapids players before joining the Vancouver Whitecaps.

Before his unexpected departure, Vela came to life in the 33rd minute. His effort from the right-wing whistled toward the goal, but Portland goalie Aljaz Ivacic stopped it.

Then, in the 37th minute, Vela was awarded a free kick right outside the top of the 18-yard box, and his attempt narrowly missed going under the crossbar and flew behind the goal.