Orlando City keeps streak alive with 1-0 win over Portland Timbers | OneFootball

It’s the kind of soccer score that casual North American fans complain about. But 1-0 over the Portland Timbers means three more points for Orlando City SC.

North America’s casual sports fans have a primary beef with soccer. There’s a lot of movement on the pitch, but frequently not much scoring. Yet Orlando City SC supporters know the players never worked harder than when they defeated the Portland Timbers 1-0.

The Timbers initially showed they would devote almost all their effort at Inter&Co Stadium to preventing the Lions from scoring. They showed a back-five formation with only one striker in Kevin Kelsey.

Early last season, teams selected back-five formations that kept Orlando City scouts and coaches reeling week after week. They’re not easy to defeat this year, either. But the Lions just did it.

Portland’s heavy defense worked against Orlando for the first 39 minutes. But it worked against Portland’s offense for the entire first half.

Forward Duncan McGuire found space behind all the Timbers’ defenders. At the same time, midfielder Eduard Atuesta – back in the starting lineup – took the ball at the edge of the 18-yard box and played sent it to McGuire. He placed a clear shot into the net to score in the 39th minute.

The Portland defensive effort protected them from any further damage. But they are unable to work a back-five effectively enough to allow their offense to work. They got no shots on target for the rest of the first half.

May 17, 2025; Portland, Oregon, USA; Portland Timbers midfielder David Da Costa (10) controls the ball during the first half against the Seattle Sounders at Providence Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

In the second half, Portland opened up its offense. They came out of the clubhouse firing with a missed effort by midfielder David Da Costa.

Portland forward Antony Alves Santos is credited for a shot on goal, although blocked, in the 65th minute. Then defender Finn Surman tried to score on a header in the 79th minute. That ended the Timbers’ on-target shots for the match.

Orlando doubled up Portland with 14-7 shots, 4-2 of them on target. The Lions faced one of the most effective defenses they’ve seen all season. They beat it for a valuable three points.

When Orlando City SC lost their second U.S. Open Cup, their unbeaten streak across all competitions stopped at 12 matches. But their MLS unbeaten streak just reached 12 games with the 1-0 win over the Portland Timbers.

The longest undefeated run in MLS this season belongs to Orlando City SC at the club record 12 straight games. The streak will continue.