CARSON, Calif. (AP) — Gabriel Pec scored a first-half goal, Riqui Puig and Joseph Paintsil found the net in the second half and the Los Angeles Galaxy held off the Portland Timbers for a 3-2 victory on Saturday night.
Pec scored the only goal of the first half in the 38th minute to give the Galaxy (14-5-7) the lead. Paintsil and Puig had assists on the score for the Western Conference leaders.
Puig used Paintsil’s ninth assist of the season and one from Diego Fagúndez in the 48th minute to give LA a two-goal lead. It was Puig’s eighth netter of the season to go along with 11 assists.
Jonathan Rodríguez answered in the 52nd minute to pull the Timbers (10-9-6) within a goal. Evander notched his 13th assist and Santiago Moreno collected his 11th on Rodríguez’s 12th goal of the campaign.
Paintsil scored for an eighth time this season five minutes later and LA regained a two-goal advantage. Fagúndez earned his fifth save and defender John Nelson collected his first in his first season with the club.
Moreno took a pass from defender Claudio Bravo and scored his sixth goal of the campaign to pull Portland within 3-2 in the 73rd minute, but the Timbers could not come up with the equalizer. It was the first assist this season for Bravo.
John McCarthy finished with two saves in goal for the Galaxy.
James Pantemis saved three shots for the Timbers.
Both clubs have scored 51 goals this season, tied with Real Salt Lake for the conference lead.
LA leads the all-time series 14-11-9 with a 10-3-5 mark at home. The Galaxy are 4-0-3 in their last seven matchups with the Timbers.
The league will take a month-long hiatus to play for the Leagues Cup. The Timbers will host St. Louis City when play resumes on Aug. 24. The Galaxy will host Atlanta United on Aug. 24.
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