CARSON, Calif. – There’s nothing quite like supporting your club on the road in hostile territory.
And it’s an experience that more than 200 LA Galaxy fans are excited to take in this Saturday when Los Angeles faces off against the Portland Timbers.
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A large portion of group traveling to Portland will be made up of members of the LA Riot Squad, who travel annually for the Galaxy’s clash with the Timbers.
Games between the two teams are always intense, but the budding rivalry has added to the game’s intrigue for Long Beach resident and LARS member Edward Rodriguez.
“I’m very excited. This year, the Portland and LA rivalry has heated up a little bit. It helped the two fan bases get into with one another on social media,” Rodriguez, a 10-year season ticket holder and current member of LA Riot Squad, told LAGalaxy.com. “The atmosphere is always great. It’s one of the biggest trips that we Galaxy fans take and the games are always exciting.”
Traveling to Portland has become a tradition for the Riot Squad since the Timbers entered Major League Soccer in 2011, and Rodriguez believes that stems from Providence Park’s unique atmosphere and relative accessibility.
“The trip is one of the easiest to make because it’s only a two-hour flight. It’s usually a very big game for both teams, and the atmosphere makes for exciting matches,” Rodriguez said. “People who have been to Portland before have realized that the games are very important and want to keep coming back.”
Those traveling will have a unique opportunity to have a beer on Galaxy president Chris Klein, who will be buying the first round of drinks for traveling supporters at Portland’s YUR’s Bar and Grill. Galaxy fans can meet up with Klein at 10:30 am PT at the bar, which is walking distance from Providence Park.
All the fun outside the stadium aside, Rodriguez’s real desire is to see the Galaxy leave the Rose City with a win.
“I think that the Galaxy can win in Portland. Sometimes away games are a bit more conservative, but our team has been playing pretty well away from home this year,” Rodriguez said. “It’s going to be tough, but we can definitely pull it off. It might need to be a 1-0 ‘Bruce Arena win’ as we like to say, but we can do it.”
Adam Serrano is the LA Galaxy Insider. Read his blog atLAGalaxy.com/Insiderand contact him atLAGalaxyInsider@Gmail.com.
