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L.A.'s unbeaten streak ends as Timbers trounce Galaxy

Aug 4, 2011 - 4:39 AM Portland, OR (Sports Network) - The Portland Timbers brought an end to the 14- game unbeaten streak of the Los Angeles Galaxy in emphatic fashion on Wednesday at Jeld-Wen Field with a 3-0 win over the top team in the Western Conference.

The home side seized the advantage from the start as first-half goals from Mike Chabala and Jorge Perlaza gave the Timbers a 2-0 lead at halftime before Eric Brunner added a third goal after the break.

Not only did Portland halt L.A.'s unbeaten streak, but the Timbers put an end to their own six-game winless streak at home after starting the season with five successive victories at Jeld-Wen Field.

The Galaxy came out flat in the first half and Portland took the game to the visitors from the opening whistle.

Possession was controlled by the hosts throughout much of the first half and the opening goal arrived in the 26th minute when Darlington Nagbe got down the left wing and pulled the ball back for Chabala, whose first-time shot took a slight deflection off of an L.A. defender before sailing past goalkeeper Josh Saunders.

It took only seven minutes for the lead to be doubled when Kenny Cooper knocked a ball down for Diego Chara near the top of the penalty area. Chara then laid it off for Perlaza, who beat his defender to the ball and lashed it past Saunders from 14 yards.

The Galaxy attack was toothless even into the second half, and outside of a low shot from Juninho which forced goalkeeper Troy Perkins into action, it was a pretty comfortable night for the Portland defense.

Brunner sealed the win a little over 20 minutes from time when he sent a powerful header past Saunders from a Sal Zizzo corner kick.

The Galaxy had only conceded one goal in its previous five games prior to Wednesday night, while the team's last defeat came all the way back on May 1 against FC Dallas.