The MLS is Back Tournament Final, known as the MLS is Back Tournament Final presented by Wells Fargo for sponsorship reasons, was a soccer match held on August 11, 2020 at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex near Orlando, Florida. It was the final match of the MLS is Back Tournament, a competition marking the resumption of the 2020 Major League Soccer season following the initial wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The match was played behind closed doors due to the pandemic and was broadcast on ESPN beginning at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time.[3]
.jpg) ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Bay Lake hosted the final. | |||||||
| Event | MLS is Back Tournament | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Date | August 11, 2020 | ||||||
| Venue | ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, Bay Lake, Florida, US | ||||||
| Man of the Match | Diego Valeri (Portland Timbers)[1] | ||||||
| Referee | Ismail Elfath[2] | ||||||
| Attendance | 0 (behind closed doors) | ||||||
Portland Timbers won the match 2–1 to win the MLS is Back Tournament and were presented the trophy after the game. As winners, Portland received $300,000 in prize money and also earned a spot in the 2021 CONCACAF Champions League. They qualified for the United States' third berth, replacing the 2020 MLS Eastern or Western Conference regular season champions which are not the Supporters' Shield champions.[4][5]
The match was the first MLS final refereed by a woman, with Kathryn Nesbitt acting as an Assistant Referee.
Road to the final
edit| Portland Timbers | Round | Orlando City SC | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opponents | Results | Group stage | Opponents | Results | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| LA Galaxy | 2–1 | Match 1 | Inter Miami CF | 2–1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Houston Dynamo | 2–1 | Match 2 | New York City FC | 3–1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Los Angeles FC | 2–2 | Match 3 | Philadelphia Union | 1–1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Group F winners
Source: MLS[6] |
Final standings | Group A winners
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Opponents | Results | Knockout stage | Opponents | Results | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FC Cincinnati | 1–1 (4–2 p) | Round of 16 | Montreal Impact | 1–0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| New York City FC | 3–1 | Quarter-finals | Los Angeles FC | 1–1 (5–4 p) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Philadelphia Union | 2–1 | Semi-finals | Minnesota United FC | 3–1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Match
editPortland played in a defensive posture for much of the game, allowing Orlando 64% of the possession but not letting them get into good shooting positions.[7][8] In the 27th minute Portland scored first, with Larrys Mabiala scoring a header from a free kick by Diego Valeri. Orlando responded with a goal 12 minutes later via a move to the end-line by Nani and a pass to the near post that Mauricio Pereyra finished. Portland scored again about 3/4 of the way through the game; Valeri sent a corner kick to Eryk Williamson, who controlled the ball and sent it toward goal, where Jeremy Ebobisse redirected it to Dario Župarić for a tap-in through Nani's legs. Both of Portland's goals were scored by center backs. The game opened up after that, with Orlando committing more players forward in an attempt to level the score, but Portland's defense continued to hold them off until the final whistle. The game finished with Orlando having only one shot on goal – namely their goal – while Portland had six.[8]
Details
edit| Portland Timbers | 2–1 | Orlando City SC |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
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          Portland Timbers
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    Orlando City SC
|
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Man of the Match:
Assistant referees:[2]
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Match rules[9]
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Broadcasting
editThe match was broadcast on ESPN.
Notes
edit- ^ Each team was given only three opportunities to make substitutions, excluding substitutions made at half-time.
References
edit- ^ a b Sigal, Jonathan (August 11, 2020). "Portland Timbers 2, Orlando City 1 | MLS is Back Tournament Final Recap". Major League Soccer. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
- ^ a b c d e "MLS is Back final referee crew announced, with first woman to work MLS final". Major League Soccer. August 9, 2020. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
- ^ "Full match schedule and TV info unveiled for MLS is Back Tournament". MLSSoccer.com. Major League Soccer. June 24, 2020. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
- ^ "MLS is Back Tournament winner will qualify for 2021 Concacaf Champions League". MLSSoccer.com. Major League Soccer. June 10, 2020.
- ^ "Concacaf Statement – Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League qualification for the winner of MLS Is Back tournament". Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football. June 10, 2020.
- ^ a b "MLS is Back Group Stage Standings". Major League Soccer. Archived from the original on August 29, 2020. Retrieved January 21, 2024.
- ^ Sigal, Jonathan (August 11, 2020). "Portland Timbers 2, Orlando City SC 1 | MLS is Back Tournament Final Recap". MLS Soccer. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
- ^ a b "Portland Timbers vs. Orlando City FC: Stats". MLS Soccer. August 11, 2020. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
- ^ "MLS is Back Tournament Competition Guidelines". Major League Soccer. June 10, 2020. Retrieved June 14, 2020.