Matchday 15: Orlando City SC vs the Portland Timbers Preview

Orlando, FL – Someone call Kesha because “it’s going down, we’re yelling timber.” The scorching hot Orlando City SC take on the Portland Timbers in the City Beautiful on Matchday 15. Will the 4th-place team in the Western Conference slow down Orlando’s historic unbeaten streak? Or will Orlando add a 12th consecutive notch in their cap of non-L’s (in MLS play)? Time to chop down the Matchday 15 preview.

Left in “Ashes”

The crosstown rivalry between Inter Miami and Orlando City did not disappoint. Not only did the team from the north win this past weekend, the Lions did so in style. Luis Muriel, Marco Pasalic and Dagur Dan Thorhallsson found the back of the net. Pedro Gallese had several remarkable stops, holding Miami to 0 goals scored. While Miami slipped in the rankings, Orlando leaped over their foes into a fifth-place spot in the Eastern Conference. Gallese earned a well-deserved Team of the Match Day nod for his week 14 performance.

Matchdays 13 & 14 are in the books!
📊 That means NEW #MLS Power Rankings are here!
Let’s break it all down ⬇️

🔥 #VamosOrlando is on fire
📈 #DOOP climbing fast
🚨 Trouble brewing for #InterMiamiCF

Who’s surging? Who’s slipping?
🗣️ Drop your takes! ⚽🔥 #ViceCityFC pic.twitter.com/9cU5WBIidz

— Lemon City Live (@LemonCityLive) May 20, 2025

As firm as an “Oak” tree

Orlando is on a historic run. The team tied a club record for consecutive unbeaten matches (all comps) at 12 games. However, they won’t be able to break the record since they lost to Nashville in the Round of 16 of the US Open Cup. They can, however, tie their club record for consecutive unbeaten MLS matches, which is also 12 games. In the previous three MLS matchups, the Lions went 2-0-1 and tallied nine total goals by five different players. Portland, on the other hand, has gone 0-1-2 the last three MLS contests and has scored only one goal. Despite the lack of offensive firepower recently by the Timbers, they sit in fourth place in the Western Conference with 23 total points. OCSC enters the pitch in fifth place in the Eastern Conference with 24 total points.

The “Cherry” on top

Martin Ojeda (4G), Ramiro Enrique, Luis Muriel (2G), Marco Pasalic, and Dagur Dan Thorhallsson have scored in the last three contests. Ojeda now sits in third place for the most goals scored (8G) this season and fourth in key passes with 37. Orlando as a team is tied for second place in goals scored with 27. Things are moving in the right direction for the purple and yellow. While Orlando has been successful lately, Portland is a team that requires full attention. David Da Costa is tied for second place in the MLS with seven assists. Much like Ojeda, Da Costa is the engine that drives the Portland Timbers offense. Expect Da Costa to feed their goal-scoring leader, Felipe More (5G), versus the hometown team. Although one goal in the previous three bouts is not impressive for the Timbers, sitting in fourth place is no laughing matter. Orlando needs to prepare accordingly.

Our Venezuelan shot-stopper 🇻🇪

We have signed homegrown goalkeeper Javier Otero to a new, multi-year contract through the 2026 season with club options for 2027 and 2028 ✍️

— Orlando City SC (@OrlandoCitySC) May 20, 2025

Going “Walnuts” over a new contract

It is important to note that backup goalie for Orlando City, Javier Otero, just inked a three-year deal with the club. Otero, a homegrown talent, has made three appearances for the Lions, two of which have been starts. The question becomes, “Where does the team go from here?” The team’s primary keeper, Pedro Gallese, is in the final year of his contract. Does the signing of Otero signal a change of plans for Orlando? There is no doubt that Gallese is having one of, if not the best, season he has ever had with the club. Otero is a fantastic backup option and the potential future net defender of the club. Time will only tell what this signing means.

“Fir” the record

With the way Orlando is playing lately, it will be very hard for the Timbers to overcome the offensive onslaught the Lions are punishing their opponents with. Alex Freeman, who is having a stellar rookie campaign,

is due to score a goal. Muriel is looking like the million-dollar signing we had hoped for. Ojeda is showing no signs of slowing down. The age-old question is, “If a Timber falls in the forest, does it make a sound?” The simple answer is yes. The final, Orlando-3, Portland-1.