1 - TIMBERRRR!
Orlando City forward Cyle Larin is returning to the site of his first MLS start and his first MLS goal Sunday at Providence Park. Larin accomplished both feats in his third professional appearance on April 12, 2015, and went on to shatter the MLS rookie scoring record with 17 goals en route to 2015 MLS Rookie of the Year honors.
Dillon Powers also scored his first career MLS goal against the Timbers before winning MLS Rookie of the Year in 2013. Powers scored five goals and six assists in 30 appearances as a rookie. Orlando City acquired Powers via trade with Colorado on Aug. 10 in exchange for Luis Gil and $100,000 in TAM.
2 - From The Flanks
Donny Toia and Scott Sutter each earned assists to Dom Dwyer in Saturday’s draw at Atlanta. Toia’s perfectly served ball opened the scoring in the 10th minute and earned him his third assist
of the season - a career-high. Sutter followed that with a nearly identical play from the opposite side for his fourth assist, third on the team behind only Kaká and Carlos Rivas with five each.
Toia and Sutter have assisted in the same game three times this season (April 23 @ NYC; May 13 vs. SKC; Sept. 16 @ ATL), and the Lions are 1-0-2 in those games. Sutter also assisted in City’s 2-1 win over LA on April 15 and scored the equalizer on the match’s final touch on June 21 in Seattle.
3 - Good To Go
Several Lions will be available for selection after missing the Atlanta match for yellow card accumulation and red cards. Kaká is back from earning his fifth yellow card in D.C.; José Aja is back from two yellow cards and a red taken in New England; Servan- do Carrasco and Seb Hines are both available for selection after straight reds in D.C.
4 - Chop Till You Drop
Orlando City’s 2-0-0 record against the Portland Timbers is its best mark against any MLS team. City picked up a 2-0 win at Providence Park in April 2015, riding Cyle Larin’s first MLS goal and Kaká’s penalty kick conversion for City’s first MLS PK.
Then in April 2016, the Lions earned an unforgettable 4-1 win over the Timbers at the Orlando Citrus Bowl. Seb Hines scored, Brek Shea blasted the top corner, Kaká slotted one home and Kevin Molino scored his first MLS goal. Joe Bendik saved a penalty when the game was 2-0 to preserve the two-goal lead.
5 - Connect Four
In Orlando City’s last two matches, Dom Dwyer has recorded two goals and two assists. His two first-half headers on Saturday marked his first MLS goals as a Lion and earned him his 11th career brace. Both of Dwyer’s assists since joining the team have been to Cyle Larin in the last two matches. Dwyer, Larin and Giles Barnes got the start for the second consecutive game up top in Jason Kreis’ lineup. The attacking trio, along with Yoshimar Yotún, have shown chemistry with their dangerous runs of play scoring five goals in their last two matches.
6 - One For The Books
Joe Bendik currently leads MLS with 99 saves. One more save and Bendik will have his second career 100-save season. Bendik finished second in MLS with 114 saves in 2016 and won MLS Save of the Week 11 times and MLS Save of the Year. Additionally, Bendik’s next win will be his 10th of the season, a new career-high. Bendik has played every MLS minute for City since the beginning of 2016. Bendik began his career in Portland in 2012 and made five appearances for the Timbers before moving to Toronto.
7 - Three In His Last Two
Giles Barnes had a brace the last time he faced Portland on Oct. 23, 2016 as a Vancouver Whitecap. Barnes opened the scoring in the 13th minute with a blast from the top of the box and scored the eventual game-winner when he dribbled into the box and flicked inside the far post in the 32nd. Barnes also scored in his prior meeting against Portland, then as a member of the Houston Dynamo in May 2015.
