US Open Cup: Portland Timbers vs. Orange County SC Preview (4/26)

For the first time since 2019, the Portland Timbers will host a US Open Cup match. They are playing Orange County SC on Wednesday night (7:30 PM, CBS Sports Golazo Network). This is the first ever match between the Timbers and the USL Championship side.

Orange County SC has only been around a few years, but they won the league in 2021. Last year was a hard one, as they plummeted to 23rd overall in the competition. This season has also been rough for OCSC, as they have only gotten 6 points out of 7 games (1-3-3 record, -3 goal difference). They also don’t have a nickname, as apparently there is nothing fun in Orange County that they can name the team after. There is also a Portland Timbers connection, as 2019 top scorer Michael Seaton was signed to the Timbers first team in 2015-16, but never suited up for the senior squad. He did score once in five T2 matches, however. Former Timbers striker Bright Dike was sent on loan to OCSC’s predecessor, the Los Angeles Blues. Simply put, this is a USL side, and not a very good one. 

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OCSC play in a 4-4-2, and there are only two notable names on their roster. One of which is former MLS goalkeeping goofus Cody Cropper, and the other is last year’s top scorer Milan Iloski. So far, Iloski has 3g/1a in OCSC’s USL campaign, and scored twice in their 5-0 Open Cup win over Capo. Another player of note is winger Bryce Jamieson, a 17-year old who is already getting looks from MLS clubs. This is my prediction for their starting XI. 

The Timbers, on the other hand, have already gotten some great news ahead of this match. Sebastian Blanco will be available for selection, per Ryan Clarke of the Oregonian. Not only will his presence in the squad increase morale (not that there’s a morale problem, he’s just such a big locker room presence it has to be noted) but he’s also Sebastian Blanco. He’s a Mount Rushmore Timbers player. Nothing else needs to be said. The rest of the lineup is a little murky. This is not the Timbers’ most important game this week, but it is a home game and one that they will still be trying to win. I still expect the lineup to be heavily rotated, with most key starters available off the bench if needed. 

Hunter Sulte just turned 21, and this is a perfect game for him to step in for. Tyler Clegg and Jaden Jones-Riley are 2023 SuperDraft picks, and Jones-Riley in particular has trained with the first team on multiple occasions. Eric Miller slides over to center back, and Justin Rasmussen should get the start at left back. Miller, in particular, last scored in the Open Cup for the Timbers’ U23 side. He noted in Tuesday’s press conference that he will be trying for another goal. The most notable addition to this XI besides Blanco is Noel Caliskan. He has been on a tear for T2 and should make his first team debut Wednesday night. Cristhian Paredes is my choice to start alongside him in the center of the park. Marvin Loria and Diego Gutierrez should get starts on the wing, and Tega Ikoba is a good man to have up top. I went with a lot of youth, and I’m not saying you should expect this lineup. Looking ahead to St. Louis on Saturday night, it makes sense that we will see quite a bit of rotation for Portland. Out of the current starters, I don’t expect Franck Boli to appear in tomorrow’s match. Selmir Miscic of T2 might be an option off the bench, but every other starter could see game time Wednesday night. I just don’t expect a lot of it. Diego Chara is an interesting case, as I think he definitely sees the field tomorrow, just not in a starting role. 

There isn’t a lot to be said tactically about this match. I haven’t watched a single Orange County game all year, but they are towards the bottom of USL in both goals scored and goals conceded per game. They also only have one clean sheet in USL play. They do like to play the long ball a lot, and they’re pretty good at doing it. Portland just needs to work on getting the ball into dangerous areas and keep the pressure on. This is also a huge match for all the young players who are going to get their debuts. The motivation from the young players with the experience of the veterans will mix into a Portland win.

Portland has entered the USOC quarterfinals four times in their MLS existence, with a run to the semifinals in 2013 and 2019. This is a serious competition, and the Timbers should be pushing for the title. Giovanni Savarese is a knockout tournament mastermind and I have no doubt the team will be fired up for this match. Both Cristhian Paredes and Eric Miller noted how important this match is for momentum, with Miller citing Nashville’s good league form after beating Atlanta in the Open Cup last year (Miller was with Nashville last year). Even if there are eyes looking ahead to Saturday, this is a must-win for Portland. And I have faith in the rotated squad to get it done.

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