LAFC take on Timbers with sights set on blemish-free July

Surging Los Angeles FC will try to complete a perfect July run in MLS play on Friday night when they host the Portland Timbers in a battle of top-six Western Conference teams.

Fifth-place LAFC (10-5-6, 36 points) are one point behind Seattle in the race for home-field advantage in the first round of the MLS Cup playoffs but have played two fewer games than the Sounders.

Los Angeles, which begins a three-game stretch of Leagues Cup action on Tuesday against Mazatlan FC, is 3-0-1 in four MLS matches in July, including a 3-3 draw with El Trafico rival LA Galaxy on Saturday.

Star forward Denis Bouanga had two goals in the draw with the Galaxy and has scored a team-high 13 tallies, including five in the last four games. He also assisted on the first goal, a cross to Nashville's Sam Surridge, to help the MLS All-Stars defeat the Liga MX All-Stars 3-1 on Wednesday night in Austin, Texas.

LAFC midfielder Mark Delgado said it's important for his club to head into Leagues Cup action with a positive result.

"They're a difficult team to break down for sure," Delgado said of the Timbers. "A team that can surprise you if you're not ready for it. It's an important three points to take heading into Leagues Cup."

Portland (9-7-7, 34 points), which is in sixth place following a dramatic 1-1 home draw with Minnesota United on Saturday, is just 0-2-1 in its last three matches. The Timbers are two points behind LAFC in the standings, but Portland has played two more matches.

The Timbers salvaged a point against Minnesota when Omir Fernandez scored off a Juan Mosquera cross from the left side of the 6-yard box in the 92nd minute.

"It was a draw and only one point, but it felt more than that at the time because of the way we played ... because of the fight that the team showed," Portland coach Phil Neville said. "And we're going to have that fight again on Friday."

The two teams tied 3-3 on April 19 in Portland with Bouanga scoring on a penalty kick in the 90th minute for the equalizer. Felipe Mora scored a brace for the Timbers.

"I thought the game at Providence Park was probably one of the best (advertisements) for MLS in a long time," Neville said. "It was high-level game. Felt like a playoff game. I thought the Minnesota game felt like a playoff game between two teams that are really good. It will be no different in L.A."

--Field Level Media