Orlando City looks to topple Timbers (Sep 24, 2017)

By AP
Published

Orlando City SC will have a cross-country trip and Diego Valeri to contend with Sunday night.

The Portland striker will look to extend his MLS record of goals in consecutive matches when the Timbers (12-10-8) host the Lions (9-12-8) in a nationally televised game at Providence Park in Portland, Ore.

Valeri has scored in eight straight games, including a 2-1 loss at Real Salt Lake last weekend that snapped the Timbers' four-match unbeaten run.

"It's an honor for me," Valeri told KPDX radio after the loss. "I'm trying to help the team and making an impact in the league is good, too. ... But we wanted to win and perform better and now we need points at home."

The Timbers entered the weekend in a three-way tie for second place in the Western Conference with Seattle and Sporting Kansas City, one point behind Vancouver.

Orlando City is coming off a 3-3 draw with Atlanta in which Dom Dwyer had two goals and an assist.

Lions coach Jason Kreis said he believes that match prepared his team, which is concluding a four-game trip, to face Valeri and the Timbers.

"I think the nice thing about playing Portland right now is that it's very similar to Atlanta," Kreis said. "Portland's Valeri is similar to Atlanta's (Miguel) Almiron.

"Both want to occupy very similar spaces, both are looking for the ball in the same sorts of areas, both are very lethal and like the ball at their foot. So I think that we will be fully prepared."

Timbers striker Fanendo Adi, a 10-goal scorer, could see his first action in six weeks after suffering a hamstring injury on Aug. 6 against Los Angeles. Adi has missed the past six matches.

"He's probably doubtful to start the game," Portland coach Caleb Porter said. "We're hopeful that he can contribute in some way, shape or form in the match."

Orlando City will be without midfielder Will Johnson, who played in Portland from 2013 to 2015 and was a former Timbers captain. Johnson is suspended indefinitely by MLS after his arrest Sept. 6 on a misdeameanor battery charge stemming from an alleged domestic abuse incident.

The Lions have won both previous meetings against the Timbers, including a 2-0 decision in their expansion season of 2015 in Portland.