A few weeks ago, the Twitterati would have given good odds against the management of MLS to pull this tournament. But they did, and it was fun to watch. The Disney heat did not stop teams from unleashing the attack.
Portland was quite a solid team, and the Timbers played an intelligent final. They were willing to give a lot of possession to Orlando, but rarely let the Lions get a spot anywhere near the goal. And they do not need many chances to score.
Thanks for following along with us. If all goes well, maybe we’ll do this again in December to look at another trophy outing.
03:49
The coaches shake hands. Maybe they should not, but everyone in this bubble is constantly being tested, and they are all negative. Just remember not to do that after tonight.
Can’t believe I made a Quiet Riot reference and did not mention that Portland goalkeeper Steve Clark shares a name with the late Def Leppard guitarist. No ffff nagging
03:47
FULL TIME: Portland 2-1 Orlando
The Timbers are deserving champions of this unusual tournament.
03:46
90 min +5: Portland with space use like Will Ferrell with a cowbell. The Timbers deserve a corner, and this is almost done.
03:45
90 min +4: Ping, ping, ping, ping … corner kick.
Gallese walks up the field and almost gets his head on it.
03:45
90 min +3: Nani’s free kick is disappointing, but with many bodies in a confined space, the ball can go many different places, and he gets to the feet of Kyle Smith. He blows a short shot over the bar, and Portland’s lead is intact.
03:44
90 min +2: Nani tries to pass Duvall and can not, but the Portland defender cuts Nani’s shoes, and that’s enough to get a whistle. Free kick.
03:43
90 min +1: Tuiloma replaces Valeri, and that should be it for subs.
Can Orlando send this game to PKs? Probably not, but we’ll keep watching.
03:42
90 min: CHANCE if the free kick goes nowhere and Portland is gone after the races. It gets to Valeri, whose shot forces another excellent save from Gallese. That would have sounded like it.
Five minutes to walk.
03:41
89 min: Giovanni Savarese sends in Felipe Moro to replace Blanco.
Portland immediately recognizes a free kick, and everyone runs on the 18th.
03:38
87 min: And that will be all for Ruan. Kyle Smith is the replacement. That’s five subs for Orlando.
03:37
85 min: Ruan raises his foot about six feet off the ground in an attempt to play the ball. Sorry for Valeri that his head was there. Yellow to Ruan.
03:36
84 min: A reminder that the loser of this game will raise $ 150,000.
The winner will receive $ 300,000 but must play in the CONCACAF Champions League, so call it the payout. Referees in this region do not always protect attackers.
03:34
81 min: Urso falls a little too easily with Chara on his back, and Orlando gets a free kick of 25. The ball is passed back to Jansson, who rips it and sees it just get wide.
The best chance for Orlando since Walt Disney flew over Florida and said, “Let’s build it there.”
03:32
78 min: More subs for Orlando …
Santiago Patiño for Uri Rosell.
Daryl Dike for Tesho Akindele.
Dike’s sister, Courtney, is a Nigerian national team player.
03:29
76 min: Stop … water time.
(Or what do I drink.)
The Timbers stack up after scoring Dario Zuparic after he took the lead. Photo: Sam Greenwood / Getty Images
03:27
75 min: I neglect to mention that Diego Chara of Portland picked up a yellow, not a rare performance. He might be happy to escape from another whistle when he catches the ball from behind.
03:25
73 min: We’ve been around for a while, and it’s about the frustrated Nani, who gets a yellow card for barging in Jorge Villafaña and budding heads like a few Quiet Riot fans.
Villafaña exaggerates a bit, adding to Nani’s amazement.
03:23
71 min: Orlando also brings the subs. Benji Michel replaces Chris Mueller, who despite some nice moments in this game and a brilliant tournament on the bench. Junior Urso replaces Mendez.
03:22
68 min: Portland are aiming for a hockey-style change of goal, with Polish striker Jaroslaw Niezgoda replacing Ebobisse and Andy Polo for Loria.
Orlando still has more than 60% of possession, but Portland has put five shots on goal after Orlando’s one.
The corner of Valeri comes along at the feet of Eryk Williamson, 15 yards from goal. He rips a diagonal ball to the center of the goal, and it pings out a leg or two before Zuparic presents a golden opportunity at close range.
Both Portland center-backs have scored.
Updated
03:17
64 min: SAVE, the first important goalkeeping in this game, as Gallese pushed Valeri’s low free kick around the post.
AND ANOTHER while Portland throws the ball to Ebobisse, who sticks Gallese’s hands.
03:15
63 min: Oh my – Moutinho makes a terrible misplay that could have turned Loria into a one-on-one if the defender had not tackled him rugby. It’s a yellow card, and if not for the presence of another Orlando defender, that could have been a red card for refusing an obvious goal scorer. (The big abbreviation: DOGSO.)
Free kick 20 yards out, dead center.
03:13
61 min: What idea was it to give Diego Valeri the ball with acres of space? To Orlando’s surprise, his speculative ball is wiped out.
03:11
58 min: Portland tried a quick break with a good passing ball to Loria, but Jansson slipped to clear the ball out of play.
The Timbers may not have much possession, but they do have quality. Therefore, it is 1-1 and not 1-0 as worse.
03:08
56 min: Mabiala, the Portland goal scorer, fulfills his initial responsibility with a good block in his own area.
Orlando has the ball …
03:06
54 min: Mueller is doing some great work to set up Nani, whose fast one-timer will land at Epcot Center in a few minutes.
(I was at Disney World last year around this time.)
03:04
52 min: And again, if Portland can move forward, the Timbers are dangerous. Blanco’s shot inside the box is blocked for a corner from the game.
Valeri’s first attempt from the corner is played for another. The next one is cleared, and this time Portland gets possession.
Ebobisse hits the turf again. ESPN’s Jon Champion greeted the crew of a field a few minutes ago – perhaps the Portland fighter could give a detailed report.
03:02
51 min: Orlando has the ball.
Orlando still has the ball.
Orlando still has the ball.
3 p.m.
48 min: Speaking of tickets, Antonio Carlos is flattened by Diego Valeri and sticks out a leg, a hip, a thigh and perhaps some pieces of the old Operation board game to hinder his progress. Yellow card.
Valeri’s free kick goes straight to goalkeeper Gallese.
02:58
46 min: Orlando owns the ball for a while and runs into a green wall again.
Michael Vraney asks: “Who gets a red, Nani or Blanco first? I have always had a soft spot for the creative petulant type. ”
I would still love to hear what sparked Blanco’s discussion with Orlando coach Oscar Pareja.
02:57
A contrast in goal scorers
Mauricio Pereyra of Orlando is a striker from Uruguay, who has gone a few decades without winning the World Cup, but is still a football nation of distinction.
Portland’s Larrys Mabiala is a defender who was born in France but represents the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Mabiala can score, however. He had five goals in 2018, including a brace against rival Seattle. He also has experience in the Europa League with PSG and Karabükspor.
Pereyra also has Europa League experience with FC Krasnodar.
The winner of this game will be in the Champions League. CONCACAFs, of course. Assuming it can be played before all players are 40.
Second half on the way …
02:40
HALF HOUR: Portland 1-1 Orlando
Both goalkeepers have a save. But why? Because Portland has very little property, and Orlando has not done much with it.
But it only takes one moment for a special player to make an impact, and Nani and Valeri have done just that, setting one goal in each direction.
02:38
45 min +4: A promising Orlando offense, with more appealing passes than we’ve seen for most of the half, ends with a pass that Chris Mueller can’t quite divert on goal.
02:36
45 min +2: Another free kick for Portland. Valeri again postpones an invited delivery, but no one is there to RSVP.
02:34
45 min: A long Portland pass turns the needle, but Gallese is quick to slip to the edge of the box and snare the ball.
Four minutes stop time coming.
02:33
43 min: Valeri tries the tight free kick under the wall, but it’s less impressive than a recently discovered tunnel on the US-Mexico border.
A few more clumsy challenges, and now Portland goal scorer Mabiala is entering the book.
02:31
42 min: Moutinho’s unintentional challenge on Loria, and Portland have another free kick, this time 20 yards out. Too close for Valeri?
Major League Soccer
