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Orlando City vs. Portland Timbers: Final Score 3-2 as Lions Roar Back from Two-Goal Deficit

Down 2-0, Orlando City got three late strikes to win its second straight game.

Published

8 years ago

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Carlos Romero, The Mane Land

These late-game comebacks are fun, but how many of these can our hearts take? Orlando City scored three times in a span of seven minutes to erase a 2-0 deficit and beat the Portland Timbers, 3-2. The smallest MLS crowd so far at Orlando City Stadium (22,337) was treated to a wild finish with goals from Chris Mueller, Sacha Kljestan, and Dom Dwyer in the 80th, 82nd, and 87th minutes, respectively.

Those three markers allowed the Lions to overcome strikes by Diego Valeri (pen.) and Bill Tuiloma.

The Lions (2-2-1) won consecutive games for the first time in 2018 and, indeed, in about a year, improving to 3-1-0 all-time in MLS play against the visiting Timbers (0-3-2, 2 points). And even though Orlando City out-passed, out-possessed, and out-shot Portland, Head Coach Jason Kreis said he was pleased with the result and effort but not the overall performance.

“I kind of feel like this week is very similar to last week in many ways,” Kreis said. “Incredible work rate by the guys, incredible that they stick together, incredible that they come back from two goals down. The effort and all those things are fantastic. I still think we’ve got a long way to go. We’ve got a lot of improvement to make. So we cannot kind of let this result take us to a place where we start to feel comfortable. We have to improve.”

With nearly everyone available, Kreis started a 4-2-3-1 lineup full of expected starters. Only Oriol Rosell was not in the lineup.

Orlando City started on the front foot, with lots of possession in the attacking half and great movement in building up from the midfield. The Lions earned a corner in the first minute and Kljestan’s service fell to Lamine Sané, whose header flew just a foot or so wide of the back post.

Portland got the next good opportunity, as Scott Sutter was caught upfield on the attack. Will Johnson tried to cover for him but Andy Polo blew past him with a burst of speed and fired a shot that Joe Bendik got a piece of but the ball still went through his legs. Jonathan Spector was there to clear it off the line for a corner in the fourth minute.

Kljestan went for goal in the seventh minute on a free kick and got his shot through the wall, but it was straight at goalkeeper Jake Gleeson. Four minutes later, Justin Meram found Josué Colmán in the penalty area, but the Paraguayan’s shot was blocked by a defender. Seconds after that, Kljestan passed up a good opportunity to shoot and instead tried to find Colmán, but the pass didn’t get through.

Disaster struck in the 19th minute, when an initial call for embellishment and what would have been a second yellow card to Sebastian Blanco was overturned by video review and instead Portland was awarded a penalty due to a foul in the area on Mohamed El-Munir. Valeri stepped up and put the visitors ahead, 1-0, even though Bendik guessed the correct direction of the kick.

After the goal, it took Orlando City about 10 minutes to settle down again, with a period of sloppy play keeping the Lions from getting anything going.

Dwyer went just wide with a free kick that took a deflection in the 31st as Orlando looked to get back into rhythm. Kljestan’s shot in the 41st was tough for Gleeson to handle but he did just enough to make the save and concede a corner.

The last good opportunity came in first-half stoppage time, when a corner kick delivery from Kljestan was headed on by Spector and fell for Meram at the back post, but his shot was saved by a diving Gleeson.

Portland took its 1-0 lead to the break.

The Lions held 57% of the first half possession, passed at an 83% rate compared to Portland’s 78%, and out-shot the Timbers (14-4) in the opening period (but only 3-2 on target). The Lions had nine first-half corners compared to just one for Portland. Aside from an inability to finish off a play, it was a mostly dominant half, but the visitors led on the Valeri penalty.

If the Timbers were fending off most of the attack in the first half, they came out of the locker room looking in the mood to score again. Portland twice hit the woodwork in the first five minutes through Blanco and Valeri, and had another shot blocked by the defense that surely would have doubled the lead.

Orlando started to settle down and earn some set pieces, and Kljestan nearly tied the game in the 56th when he went for goal on a free kick to the left of the penalty area. However, his shot fizzed just wide of the back post. But it was a set piece at the other end three minutes later that allowed Portland to double its lead.

Sané was whistled for bundling over Blanco in the 59th minute, and Valeri’s cross found defender Tuiloma, who went over two Lions to head home his first goal and double the visitors’ lead.

The Lions brought on offensive reinforcements in Mueller and Stefano Pinho and pressed numbers into the attack. That allowed the Timbers a few half chances on the counter, but good recovery runs from El-Munir, Spector, and Sané preserved the score as it stood.

Mueller looked dangerous from the time he stepped onto the pitch for Colmán in the 67th minute, and he freed himself up for a shot in the 78th that went inches wide and found the outside netting. Three minutes later, the rookie finally found his first MLS goal. Dwyer earned a corner kick and Yoshimar Yotun delivered a perfect near-post ball for Mueller to flick home with his head to throw the Lions a lifeline.

“You dream about your first goal but most importantly we got the three points,” Mueller said. “I’m happy to have gotten the goal that kind of catapulted us forward. Just a great day.”

Just one minute after Mueller’s goal, Orlando came on the attack again and Dwyer was fouled in the box by Alvas Powell, who threw a shoulder into Dwyer and knocked him down, prompting referee Baldomero Toledo to point to the spot.

Kljestan, not Yotun, stepped up and sent Gleeson the wrong way to level the score. It was Kljestan’s first goal as a Lion and it was a new game for the final eight minutes plus stoppage time.

In the 85th minute, there was a delay as both Powell and Gleeson needed treatment, possibly both for cramping issues. During the stoppage, Dwyer was screaming encouragement to his teammates. They responded, and so did he.

Second-half sub RJ Allen read Dwyer’s timed run and floated a perfect long ball over the back line. Dwyer looked to be in alone but the Portland center backs recovered and converged on the Orlando City striker. Dwyer slipped and went to ground, but maintained possession, got up, switched feet and blasted home the eventual game-winning goal with his right foot in the 87th minute.

“Tremendous character from the boys to come back from two down,” Dwyer said.

Portland nearly pulled the goal right back. Dairon Asprilla managed to get in behind the defense on the right side, but he fired his shot right at Bendik. After four tense minutes of stoppage time, the Lions had their second win of the season and second on the bounce.

City ended up with more possession (58.2%-41.8%), better passing (84.5%-78.1%), more corners (12-1), and more shots (24-13, 7-6 on target), but there were still moments of missed opportunities, as players like Kljestan, Meram, and Colmán continue to figure out where the others are about to go while in transition or in the final third.

“I think we need to bundle up all the positivity from the performance — again, just the effort and the commitment and the work rate — and we need to remember that and put that in our pocket, because that could be really useful as the season goes along,” Kreis said. “But then we also have to be humble and know that we need to make some improvements from front to back. A lot of work to be done.”

Orlando City’s next match will be Friday at Philadelphia against the Union at 8 p.m.

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. San Diego FC: Preview, How to Watch, TV Info, Live Stream, Lineups, Match Thread, and More

The Lions welcome San Diego FC to Orlando for the first meeting ever between the two clubs.

Published

6 hours ago

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September 5, 2026

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Image of Joran Gerbet playing against Minnesota United.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Welcome to your match preview and live thread for a Saturday night matchup between Orlando City (7-11-4, 25 points) and San Diego FC (8-8-6, 30 points) at Inter.co Stadium in Orlando (7:30 p.m., Apple TV). It’s the first-ever meeting between these two teams from different conferences

Here’s what you need to know ahead of the match.

History

As mentioned above, tonight’s meeting between the Lions and San Diego is the first in the series history, so there is no history. The Lions are 2-2-1 against Western Conference teams this season, which means little to nothing in this particular match, and San Diego is going to be Orlando City’s final opponent from the opposite conference in MLS regular-season play this season.

Overview

The Lions are coming off a wild 3-3 road draw at Minnesota United a week ago, in which Daryl Dike and Antoine Griezmann scored on either side of halftime on Orlando’s first two shot attempts to put their team up 2-0 in the 64th minute. Minnesota stormed back with three goals off defensive errors in a four-minute span to take a late 3-2 lead. Just when the Loons appeared to be headed for all three points, Tyrese Spicer scored in stoppage time, forcing Minnesota to split the points. Orlando has a modest 1-0-1 unbeaten streak entering tonight, and the Lions are 5-4-2 at home in 2026.

San Diego is coming off a 3-1 home win over the LA Galaxy despite having Jeppe Tverskov sent off. Tonight’s visitors have won two straight games, but both were at home. They lost their last home game 3-1 at Portland on Aug. 19 and are 2-5-3 away from home this season.

The key for Orlando City tonight will be to mark Anders Dreyer, which is far easier said than done, as he has emerged as one of the league’s best playmakers. His eight goals and 11 assists give him 19 total goal contributions to lead his team. Marcus Ingvartsen is Dreyer’s favorite teammate to combine with, as the Danish forward has converted 11 times, leading San Diego in goals, and has added five assists. However, Ingvartsen is listed as out with a lower body injury. Midfielder Onni Valakari has chipped in four goals and seven assists.

“We respect San Diego, but as well we prepare our game,” Orlando City interim head coach Martin Perelman said ahead of the match. “We know how strong we are, especially at home, so now we go.”

Orlando City will be without Braian Ojeda (foot) and Adrian Marin (thigh), while Bernardo Rhein (thigh), has been upgraded to questionable. San Diego will be without the aforementioned Ingvartsen (lower body) and Tverskov (suspension).

Match Content

Projected Lineups:

Orlando City (4-4-2)

Goalkeeper: Maxime Crepeau.

Defenders: Zakaria Taifi, Robin Jansson, David Brekalo, Griffin Dorsey.

Midfielders: Ivan Angulo, Joran Gerbet, Eduard Atuesta, Antoine Griezmann.

Forwards: Justin Ellis, Daryl Dike.

San Diego FC (4-3-3)

Goalkeeper: C.J. dos Santos.

Defenders: Kieran Sargeant, Ian Murphy, Manu Duah, Oscar Verhoeven.

Midfielders: Gabriel Pirani, Dagur Dan Thorhallsson, Anibal Godoy.

Forwards: Elias Achouri, Onni Valakari, Anders Dreyer.

Referees:

REF: Joe Dickerson.
AR1: Corey Parker.
AR2: Justin Howard.
4TH: Rodrigo Albuquerque.
VAR: Daniel Radford.
AVAR: Jeff Muschik.

How to Watch

Match Time: 7:30 p.m.

Venue: Inter.co Stadium — Orlando.

TV/Streaming: Apple TV.

Radio: AM 810 FOX Sports Radio Orlando (English), Mega 97.1 FM (Spanish), Nossa Rádio 1160 AM-WRLZ (Portuguese).

Social Media: For rapid reaction and live updates, follow us on Bluesky Social at @themaneland.bsky.social or follow Orlando City’s official Twitter (@OrlandoCitySC) or Bluesky (@OrlandoCitySC) feed.

Enjoy the match. Go City!

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Orlando City

Orlando City vs. San Diego FC: Three Keys to Victory

Here’s what Orlando needs to do in order to return to winning ways against San Diego.

Published

1 day ago

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September 4, 2026

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Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

After the disappointment of two dropped points against Minnesota on Saturday, Orlando City is back home with an opportunity to get things back on track. The Lions need to keep picking up points if they want to keep pace in an increasingly crowded Eastern Conference, and Saturday’s game is a good chance to start September off on the right note. San Diego FC stands in the way of that good start, and what follows are three things that I believe Orlando needs to do in order to emerge victorious from this game.

Stay Strong on the Left

The left side of the defense has been a question mark for the Lions for much of the year. Adrian Marin, Bernardo Rhein, and Zakaria Taifi have all spent time at left back lately and have done so with varying degrees of success. Regardless of who suits up there on Saturday, that area of the field will be under scrutiny once again, since they’ll be tasked with stopping San Diego right winger Anders Dreyer. He has eight goals and 11 assists in 21 appearances this year, has played 60 key passes during that time, and is generally the lynchpin through which the San Diego offense operates. He hasn’t quite been on the same pace that saw him bag 19 goals and 19 assists in the regular season last year, but with four goal contributions in his last three MLS appearances, he’s extremely capable of wreaking havoc from the wing. A lot of the goals OCSC has conceded lately have come down the left side of the defense, and if that area of the field can’t be taken care of better, the Lions will likely be in for a difficult night.

Do Damage in Transition

Orlando’s current style of positionless, fluid, attacking soccer is at its best when it comes up against teams that want to come out and play. It struggles mightily against defensive bunkers but shines when the Lions can get out and run, target open spaces, and combine with teammates in unexpected areas. Fortunately for OCSC (in theory), San Diego is a team that likes to have the ball, as it has the highest average possession in the league. That means the Lions will have opportunities to force turnovers and break the other way at pace. In order to make that happen though, OCSC will need to be both disciplined and effective when it comes to applying its press. Then, if/when the Lions win the ball, correct decision-making and clinical execution in the final third will be key to avoid letting any chances slip through their fingers (paws?).

Clean Up the Self-Inflicted Errors

Orlando has dealt with more than its fair share of general defensive struggles this year, but avoidable errors have been a particular problem in recent weeks. Whether it’s been an ill-advised challenge, passing to the opposition in the defensive third, or leaving men unmarked in the box, unnecessary mistakes have cost OCSC points time and again. Against lesser opposition it hasn’t always mattered, as the Lions were able to rescue three points against Real Salt Lake, but if Orlando wants to make a playoff push, it needs to make a habit of playing cleaner games, plain and simple. San Diego is a good team with dangerous offensive players, and Saturday’s visitors will very likely take advantage of any opportunities that the Lions gift-wrap for them. Keeping things mistake-free will go a long way.

We’ve got ample proof this season that nothing is guaranteed, but if the Lions can lock down the left side of the defense, make hay in transition moments, and limit unforced errors, then they should be in a good position to take all three points from Saturday’s game. Vamos Orlando!

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Lion Links

Lion Links: 9/4/26

Martin Ojeda details his recovery from injury, Anna Moorhouse loaned to Manchester City, Orlando City’s U.S. Open Cup journey, and more.

Published

1 day ago

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September 4, 2026

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Image of Martin Ojeda celebrating a goal against New England.
Image courtesy of Orlando City SC / Mark Thor

Three straight days of Orlando soccer starts tonight with Orlando City B’s road match against Inter Miami II at 7 p.m. Hopefully, Orlando’s teams do well over the next few days as crunch time is upon us when it comes to making the playoffs, especially for MLS NEXT Pro. For now though, let’s jump right into today’s links from around the soccer world!

Orlando City Prepares for San Diego FC

Orlando City will take on San Diego FC on Saturday in the first-ever game between the two clubs, and one of the storylines to keep an eye on is how much Martin Ojeda plays as he works his way back from injury. The Designated Player came off the bench late in Orlando’s 3-3 draw against Minnesota United in his first appearance since May 23. Not often injured, Ojeda spoke on how being off the field for over a month has shifted his perspective while training to return.

“You learn to value the moment much more. You learn to value every training session because, when you’re training on your own and you’re not available to your teammates, you feel uncomfortable,” Ojeda said. “You value being healthy more. It’s like everything in life. When you feel good, you live life almost on autopilot, so to speak. You go to work, you go home, you come back, you sleep. However, when you or someone close to you goes through an illness or something like that, you value the moment much more and become more conscious of what you’re experiencing.”

Pride Loan Anna Moorhouse to Manchester City

The Orlando Pride loaned goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse to Manchester City through January of 2027. Moorhouse joined the Pride prior to the 2022 season and helped the club win both the NWSL Championship and Shield in 2024. However, she has struggled this year alongside the rest of the Pride’s defense. Moorhouse hasn’t played in the past two games for the Pride, with Cosette Morche starting in her place. Her current contract with the Pride lasts through the 2027 NWSL season, so we’ll have to wait and see what her future with the club is when the loan ends.

Orlando City’s U.S. Open Cup Journey

Between the World Cup, regular season, and Leagues Cup this summer, it can be easy to forget that Orlando City is still in contention to win this year’s U.S. Open Cup. The Lions are in the semifinals of the tournament after crushing Atlanta United 4-1 in the quarterfinals back on May 19. The Lions won much tighter affairs prior to that win, with Javier Otero coming up with seven saves in a 1-0 win over FC Naples and Zakaria Taifi scoring in stoppage time to beat the New England Revolution 4-3 in the following match. Orlando will be on the road for its semifinal match against the Columbus Crew on Sept. 16, but the offense has received a boost due to the arrivals of Antoine Griezmann and Daryl Dike this summer.

MLS Transfer News Roundup

MLS signings continue to pour in as teams look to improve their squads for the rest of this season and beyond. The Colorado Rapids signed Ghanaian winger Ibrahim Sadiq from AZ Alkmaar, where he recorded 18 goals and seven assists in 85 appearances across three seasons with the Dutch club. San Diego also added an attacker by signing forward Cedric Bakambu, who joins as a free agent after playing at Real Betis. As for other notable moves from across the league, Real Salt Lake signed winger Dusan Zagar as an MLS U22 Initiative player, forward Lyle Foster joined the Houston Dynamo on loan, and the Columbus Crew continued to improve on offense by signing Moroccan winger Anass Zaroury on loan from Panathinaikos.

Free Kicks

  • Former Orlando Pride player Christina Burkenroad is retiring from professional soccer and Monterrey will have Saturday’s game against Toluca be a send-off match for her.

That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and rest of your weekend!

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