Having already secured a spot in the knockout rounds, the Portland Timbers will look to finish first in Group F of the MLS is Back Tournament Group Stage presented by Heineken when they face Los Angeles FC on Thursday (7:30pm PT, ESPN2) at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. Here are five numbers to know for #LAFCvPOR in the latest Quick Strikes.
25On Saturday, Diego Valeri delivered the game-winning goal for the second time in the 2020 MLS regular season. The midfielder now has 25 game-winning goals in regular-season play, which is tied for the 13th-most in MLS history with Clint Dempsey and Carlos Ruiz.
3Goalkeeper Steve Clark has won three matches in 2020, which ties him for most wins among all goalkeepers this season in MLS. The Timbers are 20-9-5 in MLS matches started by Clark.
25/25Since joining the Timbers in 2017, Sebastián Blanco has scored 25 goals and delivered 32 assists in MLS play. Blanco is one of four players with 25 or more goals and 25 or more assists in that time span, along with Valeri, Carlos Vela, and Albert Rusnak.
5The last time the Timbers faced LAFC, Jeremy Ebobisse scored the lone goal in Portland's 1-0 victory in the 2019 U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals. Ebobisse, who has scored in two consecutive MLS is Back Tournament matches, has scored five of his 19 Timbers goals in all competitions against teams from LA (LAFC and Galaxy).
61When he set up Valeri for the match winner against Houston, Eryk Williamson earned the first assist of his MLS career. Williamson is the 61st different player to have an assist for the Timbers in an MLS match.
