The Portland Timbers and the Orlando City Lions will battle in the MLS is Back Tournament final Tuesday, Aug. 11.
The Major League Soccer matchup will air Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. Eastern time from Orlando. In the U.S., the game will be carried on ESPN, which can be found on every major streaming platform.
Canadian viewers can catch it on The Sports Network, otherwise known as TSN, which has its own streaming service.
Game preview
Tuesday's final caps off a monthlong tournament brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. Like the NBA, the MLS brought teams into a kind of "bubble" without spectators at Disney World in Orlando to keep the virus out and ensure play can continue.
MLS plans to return to its regular season outside the bubble after the tournament concludes.
The winner of the tournament will qualify for the 2021 CONCACAF Champions League, which pits 10 teams from North America (the U.S., Canada and Mexico) and six teams from the Caribbean (25 nations and 6 territories) against each other from February to May.
The MLS Is Back Tournament champion will take the United States' third berth, replacing the MLS regular-season conference champions who didn't win the Supporters' Shield, which goes to the team with the best regular season based on points.
Both Portland and Orlando had to rely on shootouts at some point in the tournament to break a tie and advance to the next round. Portland defeated Philadelphia 2-1 Wednesday in the semifinal round and Orlando beat Minnesota United the next day 3-1. Here's a breakdown of how the tournament has played out so far.
These two teams haven't played in more than a year, and that game ended in a 1-1 draw. Both teams are currently No. 3 in their respective conference standings, though Orlando City certainly has been the tournament's surprise team under new coach Oscar Pareja. For Portland coach Giovanni Savarese, it's the sixth tournament final in eight seasons.
How to watch the MLS is Back tournament final in the U.S.
In the states, the game will be broadcast on ESPN and on ESPN Deportes in Spanish.
The worldwide leader in sports, of course, can be found on cable or satellite. But cord cutters can find the channel on many streaming platforms.
carries ESPN and is advertising a two-week free trial. Normally, that service comes with a $65 monthly price tag. Likewise, is offering a week free, after which the price goes to $65 per month standard plan. Fubo also has a Latino option with ESPN Deportes at $30 a month. Hulu with Live TV also carries ESPN at $55 a month after a seven-day free trial, and for $5 a month, you can add ESPN Deportes.
offers ESPN on its Orange plan for just $30 a month, or $35 a month with ESPN Deportes, but you'd be missing out on various news and entertainment channels on its Blue package, like CNN and FX. Sling offers three-day free trials.
carries ESPN for $55 a month after a seven-day free trial, and for an extra $5 per month, you can get ESPN Deportes and other Spanish language channels.
How to watch the MLS is Back tournament final in Canada
For our Canadian neighbors, the game will be broadcast on TSN and TVA Sports 2, a French-language channel.
TSN can be found on cable or satellite, but you can also subscribe to its TSN Direct streaming service. If you're just looking to watch this one game, you might try its one-day, $5 plan, or fork over $20 per month or $100 for six months.
