After Saturday night’s 2-0 loss to Western Conference foes at Providence Park, LAFC’s winless streak is intact.

The late-night match saw the away team have the advantage in possession, but ultimately Portland came out on top, 2.38 to 1.21 in terms of expected goals. Larrys Mabiala scored for Portland in the 28th minute, and Claudio Bravo scored with 53 minutes left to play to secure the victory for the Timbers.

Following the dismissal of head coach Gio Savarese, Portland has gone 3-0-1 (two wins, one tie) in its last four games. However, LAFC have lost three in a row and will need to get back on track soon to avoid falling down the Western Conference table against teams like Real Salt Lake, Houston Dynamo, and Vancouver Whitecaps who are all trying to secure a top seed in the playoffs.

“We’re in a negative moment… things are, in the offensive end, really difficult for us,” LAFC manager Steve Cherundolo stated after the defeat. The team is having trouble scoring goals and committing defensive mistakes at the individual level. Our half-chances on the attacking end are not being converted, and our every misstep is being punished.

Los Angeles FC have lost three in a row, allowing seven goals to Inter Miami, Charlotte FC, and the Timbers, while only scoring twice.

What I told the boys after the game is that, in essence, things are the way they are. The only way out of this is to put our heads down, work diligently, reflect on our errors, and make changes. And I saw a crew that is eager to accomplish that and take on that task,” Cherundolo said.

Cherundolo and LAFC, who are currently in third place in the Western Conference standings with 40 points, will meet city rivals LA Galaxy in the fourth edition of El Trafico on September 16. The Galaxy defeated LAFC 2-0 in the US Open Cup in late May, although LAFC won the first match 3-2 in league action back in April.

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The Gs prevailed once again in their July 4 MLS match with the Reds, this time by a score of 2-1, in front of 82,110 fans at the Rose Bowl.