Keane Brace Keeps Timber Winless in L.A.

Robby Keane scores twice to lead the Galaxy over the Timber

Robbie Keane scores twice to lead the Galaxy over the Timber

Los Angeles continues its mastery of Portland inside StubHub Center as they came from behind to defeat the Timber 3-1 Saturday in front of 20,089. In six meetings at StubHub Center, Portland has yet to register a victory. The win gave the Galaxy its seventh win in eleven matches (7-1-3-24 points) dating back to a loss to Houston on May 17th.

The win catapults Los Angeles into second place in the Western Conference, five points behind Seattle.

“Overall it was a good ninety minutes. ” said Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena. “We were sloppy at times. First half was a little cleaner. Overall it was a good performance and we are in a good run.”

Landon Donovan's pass set up Keane's go ahead goal.

Landon Donovan’s pass set up Keane’s go ahead goal.

Robbie Keane’s header from a cross from Landon Donovan in the 73rd minute finished the comeback for Los Angeles. Donovan’s pace through the penalty box allowed him to make the chip over to Keane.

Keane later followed with a penalty kick goal in the 85th minute after Juninho was tripped inside the box by Portland’s Diego Chara who minutes earlier picked up a yellow card on tough tackle.

Through out, the game Los Angeles were the aggressors being allowed to play the ball from the middle of the pitch to the sides where Donovan and Robbie Rodgers looked dangerous, especially the first half.

The Timber struck first in the 14th minute as Diego Valeri’s set piece was deflected by the Galaxy’s Gyasi Zardes’s head and found the upper corner. It was Portland’s only shot on goal in the first half.

The dominance of Los Angeles’s offense only registered one goal in the first half as Zardes headed home a cross from Rodgers in added time of the first half to knot the game at one. Zardes easily could have scored more than one goal in the first 45 minutes. Thirty minutes into the match, Zardes hit the crossbar after Donovan found him at the far post.

Keane nearly equalized the game in the 36th minute with a blistering knuckleball shot that Portland goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts pushed aside to keep the Galaxy scoreless.

With the score tied at one in the second half, Los Angeles continued to put pressure on the Timber before finally breaking through for the victory.

The Timber struck first in the 14th minute as Diego Valeri’s set piece was deflected by the Galaxy’s Gyasi Zardes’s head and found the upper corner. It was Portland’s only shot on goal in the first half.

Keane nearly equalized the game in the 36th minute with a blistering knuckleball shot that Portland goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts pushed aside to keep the Galaxy scoreless.

With the score tied at one in the second half, Los Angeles continued to put pressure on the Timber before finally breaking through for the victory.

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