Disney World markets itself as the most magical place on earth, and fortunately for the Portland Timbers, they have been able to use enough of this magic to win the MLS’s Back Tournament in Orlando, Florida.
The Timbers defeated Orlando City 2-1 in the finals of the MLS’s Back League Tuesday night, capping off a Cinderella run through an unusual one-off tournament that hosts a “bubble” at Disney World, where teams COVID-19 may occur.
As the last team to stand, the Timbers have earned a place in next year’s CONCACAF Champions League and can seek a place to represent the region in FIFA’s Club World Cup.
“For us, this will be a great memory,” said carpenter coach Giovanni Savarese of winning the tournament. “It’s special, it’s unique and we can lift this trophy that gives us the opportunity to compete outside the United States. It’s a special feeling. Who knows if there will be another tournament like this, but we are proud to give another trophy to Portland. ”
Dario Zuparic, the center-back who signed for the 2020 season with the Timbers, grabbed a nice moment to score his first goal in MLS, noting the crucial winning game. Diego Valeri was ever so close to scoring after an excellent corner was met beautifully by Eryk Williamson, but the ball bounced off the post to safety. His shot fell from the foot of Jeremy Ebobisse, and Zuparic turned the ball into goal.
The Timbers opened the scoring in the 27th minute on another set piece. Valeri struck a 30 meter free kick home 25 minutes into the match. 4 – 0 for the home team. Larrys Mabiala reluctantly made way for João Moutinho on the pitch. It is Mabiala’s eighth career goal for the Timbers.
Orlando equalized 12 minutes later. The Orlando’s most influential player of the tournament, Nani, dribbled up the finish line and shot a low cross to Mauricio Pereyra at the top of the 6-yard box. Williamson missed his approach and Pereyra did well to shoot past goalkeeper Steve Clark.
“You know, I always think that the harder the fight, the more beautiful the victory,” Mabiala said. ‘In the end, we’ve had a lot of tough games, especially the last two against Orlando and Philadelphia. They tested us very hard, but the fact that we were through this opposition left us with a lot of personality and character. ”
The month-long MLS Back Tournament is hosted in Orlando, where teams were sequestered at Disney World resorts and playing games in empty stadiums at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. The tournament was a gruesome gauntlet, where teams played every few days in humid Florida heat.
The Timbers were not favorites, with pundits and scientific models giving their low odds to reach the end. But the Timbers met expectations, with Savarese telling The Oregonian / OregonLive for the finale: “We do not play for the commentators, we do not play for the writers.”
“There’s a great feeling to reach a historic moment for our club,” Savarese said after Tuesday’s win. ‘Credit the players for coming here with a goal from the moment we came out of Portland. The idea was to take it one game at a time and demonstrate to everyone, game by game, the unity we had. “
In addition to a spot in the CONCACAF Champions League, players were also attracted by up to $ 1.1 million in prize money, including a guaranteed $ 300,000 that the Timbers have won for being the last team. Sebastian Blanco then joked that his family deserved the prize money after being away for 40 days.
But launching the tournament amid the deadly COVID-19 pandemic was not easy.
Early negotiations between the MLS players union and the league fueled acrimony, with the league threatening a lockout. The two sides came to an end, giving players a shorter period than the league wanted, and COVID-19 outbursts later forced FC Dallas and Nashville SC out of the tournament shortly after they arrived in the MLS is Back bubble .
“Personally, I have three children, two are toddlers, and the last 10 days have been very difficult because I had my son call me every morning, crying asking if I would come back,” Mabiala said. ‘It has been difficult. We have told ourselves that we must make it worthwhile – we do not want to be away for so long and go to our homes without our trophy. ”
The unusual nature of the tournament caused concern that the players may not be fully involved, but the Timbers’ approach to the final was marked by a gruesome desire to win.
Things got tense in the 32nd minute of Tuesday’s final as Blanco stepped over to Orlando coach Oscar Pareja on the sidelines and confronted him as he made a gesture that appeared to accuse Pareja of running out of his mouth. The referee, Ismail Elfath, shook hands with Blanco and watched as Blanco and Pareja apparently settled their quarrel.
Coming into the final, Savarese chose to keep up with what worked, and made no changes to the starting lineup that beat Union Union in the semifinals.
Orlando has also been remarkably consistent. The Lions’ starting lineup in the final was the same as the previous three games, and of their 11 starters, nine of all seven games of the tournament began.
The de facto hosts of the tournament, Orlando City has never qualified for the MLS Cup playoffs since joining the league in 2015. But Pareja, a first-year coach for the Lions, has transformed a roster that not significantly different from the one that finished last year in second-to-last place.
The focus is now on the regular season MLS, which starts again on Wednesday when FC Dallas will host Nashville SC – with a limited number of fans in the stands.
MLS commissioner Don Garber said fans will be allowed to play in some markets where local authorities allow it, despite health experts largely warning that it is not safe for crowds to gather while the coronavirus is not under control. The Timbers have not asked for permission to host fans returning to their first home games.
“I’m sure we have a good plan in place,” Garber told ESPN’s Taylor Twellman when asked on Tuesday about the decision to host fans this season, without specifically describing the protocols that exist. for fans. ‘We just have to start, Taylor. We need to come back and see if it can work. If so, we will continue and if it does not, we will have to address it. ”
The Timbers’ regular season began in March with a win and a loss before the season was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The MLS group stage is Back Tournament, of which the Timbers finished with two wins and a draw, counting toward the regular season.
The Timbers’ first game outside of the MLS is Back bubble will be Aug. 23 against the Seattle Sounders at an empty Providence Park.
They will then play a match every three days until September 6. MLS ‘regular season schedule is not set above that, but Garber said he expects the playoffs and MLS Cup to be played before the end of the year.
– Caitlin Murray for The Oregonian / OregonLive
Earlier:
Despite vibe with low key, strikes high for Timbers
Timbers Open MLS is Back Tournament with win over LA Galaxy
Timbers hit Dynamo, clinch knockout spot
Timbers top Group F in MLS is Back in signing against LAFC
Timbers clinch quarterfinals after dramatic PK shootout with FC Cincinnati
Valeri leads Timbers to comeback win over NYCFC
Timbers beat Philadelphia, reaching MLS is Back Championship
