After winning one of the first eight MLS meetings (D4 L3), the Timbers have won three straight matches against Los Angeles FC, all by 2-1 scorelines. The only team to manage four consecutive wins over LAFC in MLS was San Jose, who did so from September 2020 to September 2021.
Los Angeles FC opened its season with a win for the fifth time in its five MLS seasons, beating Colorado, 3-0, on Saturday. LAFC has never collected fewer than four points from its first two matches of a season.
The Timbers won six of their final eight away matches (including playoffs) in 2021 (L2) after recording just one win in their first 10 on the road last season (D2 L7).  Portland’s total of seven away wins are tied for the second-most in a single season the club’s MLS history after winning nine road games in their MLS Cup-winning 2015 campaign.
Carlos Vela scored a hat-trick in LAFC’s win over Colorado on Saturday. Vela became the fifth player in MLS history, and the first since Mike Magee in 2013, to score a hat-trick in a team’s opening game of the season.
Dairon Asprilla scored Portland’s first goal of the season against New England on Saturday, his 11th goal since the start of last season. Those 11 goals equal his total (including playoffs) from his first six MLS seasons combined.
