ORLANDO, Fla. (March 25, 2022) - Orlando City SC (2-1-1, 7 points) returns to the west coast this weekend, set to take on the Portland Timbers (1-1-2, 5 points) on Sunday, March 27 at Providence Park. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. ET.
The match will be nationally televised on ESPN and ESPN Deportes while being transmitted on 96.9 The Game in English and Acción 97.9FM, 810AM in Spanish.
“[Portland is] a rival that we remember with our first final in 2020 when we played them in the MLS is Back Tournament, now giving us the opportunity to go to their place on a turf field, which is not a minor detail,” said Head Coach Oscar Pareja about the Timbers. “It’s something that we have been preparing the group on during the week, a team that already had a difficult result in their last game and we’re ready.”
The Lions will make their first trip to Providence Park since the 2019 campaign, last battling to a 1-1 draw in the Rose City thanks to a goal from former City forward Santiago Patiño. The two sides last squared off the following year in the final of the MLS is Back Tournament, with Portland taking a 2-1 victory to cap off the tournament.
City enters the weekend looking for back-to-back victories on the west coast after taking a 1-0 shutout victory over the LA Galaxy this past Saturday. Facundo Torres scored the eventual game-winner in the ninth minute of play in what served as his first goal as a Lion, with Ercan Kara earning the assist on the finish.
With the clean sheet, goalkeeper Pedro Gallese sits tied for the league-lead with three shutouts this campaign, but will be unavailable for Sunday’s match while away on international duty with Peru. Torres, as well as Sebastián Méndez, will also miss this weekend’s contest, away with Uruguay and Ecuador, respectively, for CONMEBOL FIFA World Cup Qualifying.
Portland comes into Sunday’s contest looking to bounce back from a 4-1 loss to FC Dallas over the weekend. Jesús Ferreira found the back of the net three times in a 10-minute span, with Paul Arriola adding another to lead the home side to the victory. Jaroslaw Niezgoda scored the lone goal of the night for the Timbers.
Yimmi Chara leads Portland in both goals and assists this season, with two in each category for a team high.
Following Sunday’s match, the Lions return home to host LAFC at Exploria Stadium. Kickoff for that match is set for 7:30 p.m. ET with tickets available here or by calling (855) ORL-CITY.
