CARSON, Calif. (AP) — David Da Costa, Santiago Moreno and Kevin Kelsy each scored a goal Sunday to help the Portland Timbers beat the LA Galaxy 4-2 and extend the defending MLS Cup champions' season-opening winless streak to 10 games.
Portland (5-2-3) is unbeaten in seven consecutive games, beginning with a 1-1 tie with the Galaxy on March 16.
The Galaxy (0-7-3), off to the worst start of any champion in MLS history, has a minus-12 goal differential, the worst in the league.
Antony Alves Santos — known simply as “Antony” — had three assists for the Timbers.
Antony chased down a loose ball along the left side of the goal line, flicked a pass over the head of defender Miki Yamane to himself and then side-footed a pass to Da Costa, who slammed home a volley to open the scoring in the 38th minute.
On the counterattack, Antony played a centering pass to Moreno for the finish from near the right corner of the 6-yard box to make it 2-0 in the 53rd and Kelsy bounced a first-touch shot off the crossbar to give the Timbers a 3-0 lead in the 63rd minute.
Christian Ramirez got the Galaxy on the board in the 67th with a sliding one-touch finish off a cross played in by Joseph Paintsil and then fed Marco Reus, who slipped behind the defense and beat goalkeeper James Pantemis to make it 3-2 in the 69th minute.
Jonathan Rodriguez, who subbed on for Antony in the 71st, converted from the penalty spot in the 75th minute to cap the scoring.
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/soccer
The Associated Press
