Defense wins games with three Portland Timbers defenders making it into Team of the Matchday

Larrys Mabiala, Claudio Bravo, and Diego Chara on the bench, made this week Team of the Matchday for Matchday 31 with both of their goals contributing to a 2-0 win over LAFC at home.

With a slumping LAFC in town, the Portland Timbers took advantage of this team’s current skid and with Larrys Mabiala opening the scoring in the 28^th minute amid protests coming from several LAFC defenders of a possible foul.

The second score of the night came in the 53rd minute with a beauty of a shot by Claudio Bravo taking the Black and Gold defense and scoring his first goal of the season and with Diego Chara making the team too on the Bench for another amazing performance.

This win comes in a pivotal time for the Portland side with six games left in the season and a point within the last postseason berth in the Western Conference.

Source: Major League Soccer Communications

Team of the Matchday (4-4-2, left to right): Daniel (SJ) – Claudio Bravo (POR), Rodrigues (SJ), Larrys Mabiala (POR), DeAndre Yedlin (MIA) – Facundo Farías (MIA), Riqui Puig (LA), Sergio Busquets (MIA), Carles Gil (NE) – Leonardo Campana (MIA), Franco Fragapane (MIN)

Coach: Tata Martino (MIA)

Bench: Dayne St. Clair (MIN), Maya Yoshida (LA), Omar Gonzalez (NE), Diego Chara (POR), Hassani Dotson (MIN), Ted Ku-DiPietro (DC), Evander (POR), Aziel Jackson (STL), Alan Pulido (SKC)