The defensive situation for LAFC near the end of the season was a bit rough. There were injuries, a mix-match of backlines, and having to build chemistry on the fly just as the MLS Cup Playoffs were approaching. The team had to rely on new arrivals a lot down the stretch, with one of those being defender Ryan Porteous. The Scottish international arrived in Los Angeles in August, as depth and cover for some of the injuries suffered across the backline. It didn’t take long for him to settle in, becoming one of the more consistent defenders for the team down the stretch for LAFC.
Newest addition to the backline. 😤
Welcome to Los Angeles, Ryan Porteous. pic.twitter.com/mMLZdtVLar
— LAFC (@LAFC) August 4, 2025
Porteous arrived shortly after the team lost veteran defender Aaron Long, to a season-ending injury. The club needed not just depth along the backline, but they needed players who could come in and put in more than just a shift here and there, and they got one in Porteous. Before arriving in Los Angeles, Ryan was enjoying a nice spell with English League Football Championship side, Preston North End, where he was a loanee from fellow Championship side, Watford. While with Preston, he made 11 appearances and scored one goal before wrapping up his three year stint in England and joining the black & gold. Fortunately for Los Angeles, it didn’t take long at all for Porteous to find his rhythm and settle in.
After playing just 11 minutes in his LAFC debut coming off the bench against FC Dallas in late August, he got his first start and never let it go. He featured in LAFC’s final 13 matches of the season, with 12 starts, including starting all of their postseason matches. What’s more, he played a full 90 in every one of his starts, and went the full 120 in the team’s Western Conference semifinals battle against Vancouver Whitecaps, logging a total of 1,121 minutes to close out the 2025 campaign. While we didn’t get to see him score a goal, we did get a look at just how good he is defensively. He did concede a penalty, but only one, while also racking up four yellow cards with his physical play. Porteous had 18 tackles, won 63 duels, 29 aerial duels, had 14 interceptions, seven blocked shots, made 49 recoveries and was only dribbled past on seven occasions. Not a bad showing at all for a player that was not just new to the team, but new to the league as a whole, the learning curve is usually a lot steeper, but for Porteous, he settled in fast and looked good from day one.
Porteous arrived having signed a deal that will keep him in Los Angeles through 2028 with an option for 2029, ensuring we will see plenty of him in the years to come. With a full offseason under his belt, and even more familiarity with the club, it’s going to be really fun watching his development in year two when the 2026 campaign begins.
Thoughts on how Ryan Porteous looked to close out the 2025 season? Drop us a comment below!