Orlando City (6-2-6, 24 points) vs Portland Timbers (6-3-5, 23 points)
When: Saturday, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Inter&Co Stadium, Orlando, Fla.
Attend: Single-Match Tickets
TV: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV (subscription required)
Radio: AM 810 Fox Sports Radio, (English), Mega 97.1 (Spanish)
Here are five storylines to watch on Saturday as the Lions host the Timbers at Inter&Co Stadium:
Marco Making Moves
Forward and Designated Player Marco Pašalić has continued to be impactful in his debut season in the City Beautiful. The Croatian international scored a goal in the 17th minute and assisted Ramiro Enrique on his tally in the 58th minute of Orlando City’s Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup match against Nashville SC on Wednesday night. Pašalić is now up to seven goals and three assists in 15 appearances across all competitions this season. This form extends to Orlando City’s Designated Player trio: Pašalić, Martín Ojeda and Luis Muriel have a combined 31 goal contributions in 2025, averaging just under two per game between them.
Lions Ready for Liftoff
Orlando City’s attack has been flying high so far in 2025, and the Club will look to continue that form heading into its weekend matchup at home with Western Conference side Portland Timbers FC. The Lions have scored at least twice in all but one of their eight home games this season across all competitions, scoring three or more goals five times at Inter&Co Stadium. The Lions are 4-0-2 with 17 goals scored and a +10-goal differential over their past six MLS regular season home matches and have also scored the second-most goals in the league (27) overall, tied with the Union and trailing only San Jose (29).
Month of May
Saturday night’s matchup at Inter&Co Stadium will be Orlando City’s seventh match in 21 days in the month of May, with an additional two matches to play before the month is out, marking what is currently set to be one of the busiest portions of the Lions’ 2025 campaign. In the six matches they have played thus far this month, the Lions have posted a 3-1-2 record across all competitions, scored 16 goals and only conceded seven times for a +9-goal differential in that span. Despite their loss in the U.S. Open Cup to Nashville, the Lions remain on an 11-game unbeaten run in league action, dating back to March 15.
City of Roses
Orlando City will face the Portland Timbers this weekend for the first time in more than three years. The Lions and Timbers last played to a 1-1 draw at Providence Park on March 27, 2022, with a late Portland penalty cancelling out former Lions midfielder Júnior Urso’s opener. Only two of the 11 players who started that game for Orlando City remain on the roster – defender Robin Jansson and midfielder César Araújo – while defenders Rodrigo Schlegel and Kyle Smith both entered the match as substitutes. The Timbers have six holdovers from that game’s starting XI. Notably, Portland also has one former Lion in its squad in defender Kamal Miller.
Back to the City Beautiful
Not only has it been three years since the Lions and Timbers have faced each other in any competition, it’s been over seven years since the two sides have played in downtown Orlando. The two teams faced off in 2020 in the final of the MLS is Back Tournament at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort, but the last match between Orlando City and Portland at Inter&Co Stadium took place on April 8, 2018. That match saw the Lions score three goals in a seven-minute span from the 80th to the 87th minutes to overcome a 2-0 deficit and win 3-2 to remain a perfect 2-0-0 at home against the Timbers.
Milestone Tracker
- Duncan McGuire (27) sits fourth on Orlando City’s all-time scoring list and is four goals away from tying former captain Nani (31) across all competitions for third.
- A win or draw would extend the Lions’ league unbeaten streak to 12 matches in MLS action.
