The time to make a move up the Major League Soccer Western Conference standings may be at hand for the Portland Timbers, who go into Saturday's home match not having lost across all competitions since June 26.
The Timbers paid their price for the remodeling of Providence Park, their home, spending more than two months playing away from the downtown stadium until the work was complete.
They're unbeaten in five straight MLS games but have draws in the last two at home. So Saturday becomes imperative to take three points from the second-place LA Galaxy.
"The idea is to play in the same way that we played against Orlando and Colorado, but be more efficient," Timbers captain Diego Valeri told The Oregonian. "Just try to be more precise in the last pass, in the last shot."
Portland is two points below the playoff line but is coming off a 2-1 win over rival Seattle on the road.
The Galaxy are also coming off a rivalry game win, having beaten Los Angeles FC 3-2 on July 19. The Galaxy also got good news this week when star Zlatan Ibrahimovic was let off with a warning from a high elbow against LAFC that did not result in a foul.
The elbow broke a bone on the side of defender Mohamed El-Munir's face, and El-Munir needed surgery.
Ibrahimovic called it "unlucky" contact and expressed a desire for MLS officials to "loosen up" so he can "feel free" in playing his game.
"I feel like I'm hunted. But when you're the best, you're hunted," Ibrahimovic said, responding to those critics who called for a suspension. "I'm not here to change the rules. I'm here to show how the game is played."
It's Ibrahimovic and his run of five goals in the past three games against the Timbers' Brian Fernandez, who since arriving in May from Liga MX club Necaxa has 11 goals across all competitions.
He's the Timbers' leader in goals.
"It will be a difficult game there," Ibrahimovic said.
--Field Level Media