CARSON, Calif. (AP) — Newcomer Ola Kamara and Romain Alessandrini scored two minutes apart in the first half and the Los Angeles Galaxy held off Portland 2-1 in a season opener Sunday night to spoil coach Giovanni Savarese’s Timbers debut.
Kamara’s 35th career goal came in the 32nd minute. Jonathan dos Santos’ cross was headed across goal by Rolf Feltscher and Kamara chested it home. On a counter attack two minutes later, Alessandrini capitalized on a defensive turnover by sending a shot off the post and finishing the rebound.
Sebastian Blanco pulled Portland to 2-1 in the 66th minute by rolling a shot from a difficult angle through the legs of goalkeeper David Bingham. David Guzman’s free kick in the 85th got through the wall but Bingham punched it away for his sixth and final save.
Savarese, formerly coach of the lower-tier New York Cosmos, is one of six new coaches in the MLS this season.
