Lineups:

Jesús David Murillo is in for his LAFC and MLS debut. Bryce Duke and Adrien Perez are also starting this one. Latif Blessing is not in the squad.

Portland are going with a first-choice lineup here.

Batten down the hatches, as Los Angeles Football Club are scheduled to take on the Portland Timbers Sunday to close out yet another double-game week in regular-season play.

LAFC are coming off a 2-1 loss on Wednesday against the Vancouver Whitecaps at the same Providence Park they’ll be playing the Timbers at for this one. That loss was not a happy occasion, with LAFC playing sloppy throughout and a late rally coming up short, but in context it wasn’t a normal game for the black-and-gold. It was the first time ever neither Carlos Vela nor Diego Rossi played, and LAFC were missing 7-8 of their first-choice starters. If you lose that many key players something has to give, and it did against the Whitecaps. And buckle up, because the lineup is likely to remain pretty similar against Portland, with probably the same group of starters all still out.

The Timbers lost 2-1 to Real Salt Lake on Wednesday, which was a surprise since they had won their last five games before that. Obviously streaks don’t last forever, but with the team finding their footing after Sebastian Blanco’s torn ACL, and Diego Valeri getting back up to 90 minutes fitness as a starter, they’ve been rolling lately. And the Timbers are one of the teams in MLS that tends to not sign internationals, so they weren’t decimated by the international window.

So will LAFC be able to bounce back with some minutes under them and time together as a group? Will Bob Bradley be able to make a key adjustment or two to help the cause? Or will the reserve-heavy lineup just not be able to handle what should be a potent Timbers side in Portland? I’m really intrigued to see what happens with this game.

Odds:

According to DraftKings Sportsbook, as of Saturday afternoon, LAFC are (+180) while Portland are (+132). The odds of a draw are (+260). The bookmakers have LAFC slight underdogs, which is a bit surprising considering LAFC are bound to be quite shorthanded again for this game.

How to Watch:

Sunday’s match between LAFC and the Timbers will be televised locally on YouTube TV and EstrellaTV and in the rest of the United States on ESPN+. The broadcast is scheduled to start at 7 pm PT with kickoff to follow.

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

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