Vanney demands Galaxy response after 6-2 humiliation by St. Louis

Galaxy look to turn frustration into a home response

Greg Vanney says the LA Galaxy’s heavy defeat to St. Louis City SC should serve as a wake-up call as they prepare to host the Portland Timbers in the MLS. The Galaxy were beaten 6-2 at Energizer Park, where Carlo Holse scored a hat-trick in a 21-minute spell.

Vanney described the mood in the dressing room as one of “anger and disappointment”, but said the team had quickly shifted its attention to a crucial run of home matches. “I feel like [this game] lights a fire under some people and under the group,” he said. “There was certainly anger and disappointment, but I also felt a recognition that there’s a big week still ahead of us.”

The Galaxy are ninth in the Western Conference, three points ahead of 10th-placed Portland. Vanney said the loss had not dramatically altered their position in the standings, but stressed the importance of the games ahead and said he expected a resilient response in front of the home crowd.

Timbers seek to end five-game winless run

Portland travel to Los Angeles after a 3-3 draw with Sporting Kansas City, a match in which the Timbers twice built a two-goal advantage but failed to hold it. David da Costa and Vincent Janssen put Portland ahead 2-0 by the 49th minute. Ariel Lassiter restored a two-goal cushion after the break, but Justin Reynolds and Andre Luiz scored in quick succession to earn Sporting KC a point.

The draw extended Portland’s winless run in league play to five matches. The Timbers’ coach, Marti Cifuentes, said the team had “lost an opportunity to take all three points” and called for greater creativity in the final third.

Joao Klauss has scored in three consecutive matches for the Galaxy, while David da Costa has nine goals and 15 assists since joining Portland. The matchup offers the Galaxy a chance to steady their playoff push at home; Portland, meanwhile, will try to convert their attacking spells into a first league win in six outings.