The Opponent
Orlando City last year were one of the worst teams in MLS history. After spending big in the proceeding offseason and going on a six-game winning streak in the spring, they then won just one of their next 23 games.
It was extraordinary. They changed managers, from Jason Kreis to James O'Connor, but nothing seemed to help. Attendance dried up, the mood around the club turned toxic, and the Lions finished the year by breaking the record for most goals conceded in a single season.
This year has been better. Not a smashing success, by any means — Orlando is currently placed ninth in the Eastern Conference, averaging just over a point-per-game — but they are in the semifinals of the U.S. Open Cup, drastically improved on defense, and competitive most every time they take the field.
O'Connor, who joined from Louisville City last summer after former Timbers manager Caleb Porter reportedly turned the job down, deserves plenty of credit for the job he's done in bringing the team back to respectability.
The Tactics
Like the Timbers, Orlando has a big game looming on Sunday: a home clash with the New York Red Bulls, one of the teams they need to do some damage against if they want to make the playoffs in the East.
With that game in mind and this one on the opposite coast, expect O'Connor to play a heavily rotated team tonight. The last time Orlando had a three game week, O'Connor sat seven starters for one of the games. This will mostly be a second-choice side — one that will not feature Dom Dwyer, who was sent off in the dying moments of the club's win over Columbus last weekend.
Whoever plays for Orlando, they'll likely follow the blueprint that Colorado established for how to approach games in Portland last Saturday: sit deep, cede possession, and play exclusively on the counter. O'Connor has on occasion used a 5-3-2 this year, and it'd be no shock to see the Lions in a back five again tonight.
Can Orlando play that absorb pressure and break as effectively as the Rapids did? It remains to be seen. They don't have a holdup forward that can replicate Kei Kamara's contributions on Saturday, but they have been solid through the middle defensively and have pop on the wings.
The nature of Orlando's challenge, it bears repeating, will depend on who they play. The Timbers are in a similar spot. Giovani Savarese and his staff will have to decide how many starters they feel comfortable holding back for the Sounders game on Sunday, given that this match is pretty close to a must-win.
If they get an early goal and force Orlando to attack, it will be a fairly straightforward night for the Timbers. If they don't, it could be another grind. One thing to watch is how quickly and how high up the field the Timbers, especially their center backs, can win the ball. It needs to be better than it was last time out.
The Lineup
12 - Clark
16 - Valentin
18 - Cascante
5 - Dielna
2 - Moreira
21 - Chará
22 - Paredes
11 - Polo
8 - Valeri (C)
44 - Loría
7 - Fernandez
— Larrys Mabiala is listed on the MLS injury report as questionable with a left thigh problem, and the focus may be on getting him healthy for Seattle.
— Bill Tuiloma started and played 45 minutes in T2's loss at Sacramento last weekend, but it could be another week before he rejoins the first team.
— The injury problems for the defense don't stop there. Jorge Villafaña, Jeff Attinella, Mo Jadama, and Marco Farfan are all hurt as well.
— Sebastian Blanco started all three games last week and is a candidate for a rest in the attack, while the likes of Cristhian Paredes and Brian Fernandez, who did not start against Colorado, seem more likely to play.
The Memory
The Timbers demolished Orlando on their last trip to Portland at the end of the 2017 season, with Chara in especially devastating form.
The Pick
The Timbers may again be somewhat shorthanded, but Orlando's second team isn't what Colorado's first team was. Portland wins 2-1.
