With 18 points, the Timbers are second in the Western Conference standings.

Craig Mitchelldyer photo/Portland Timbers

Phil Neville has been going out of his way lately to talk about how unselfish his club is — the latest instance coming after Portland’s 4-2 victory over the LA Galaxy on Sunday, a win that extended Portland’s unbeaten streak to seven games and clinched the best 10-game start to a season in club history.

With 18 points, the Timbers are second in the Western Conference standings. Earlier in the season, when Neville talked about the chemistry and togetherness he saw in this roster in the preseason, it felt a bit hyperbolic. The team had just gotten rid of Evander after a tumultuous offseason, and it’s not like Neville avoids grandiose talk from time to time.

But in Los Angeles, after Antony assisted on goals to three different teammates and after Jonathan Rodriguez came off the bench to score his first goal of the season, it’s become clear that the results on the field have inspired some genuine feelings from the coach.

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Tyson Alger covered the Ducks for The Oregonian and The Athletic before branching out on his own to create and run The I-5 Corridor. He brings more than a decade of experience on the University of Oregon sports beat. He has covered everything from Marcus Mariota’s Heisman Trophy-winning season to the Ducks’ first year in the Big 10.