News Summary
The Portland Timbers delivered a convincing 3-1 victory against Real Salt Lake in the MLS Cup Playoffs Wild Card Game. Felipe Mora starred with two goals, leading his team to advance in the playoffs. The Timbers will now face top-seeded San Diego FC in a best-of-three series, marking their first playoff series advancement since 2021. The match also highlighted Real Salt Lake’s continued struggles with their eighth playoff game without a win. Upcoming playoff games will be broadcast live, with ticket sales starting soon for the Portland match.
Portland – The Portland Timbers secured a significant 3-1 victory over Real Salt Lake in the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs Western Conference Wild Card Game on Wednesday at Providence Park. With this triumph, the Timbers, who were the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference, advanced to the next round to face top-seeded San Diego FC in a Round One Best-of-3 Series.
Felipe Mora was the standout player of the match, scoring two key goals that contributed greatly to his team’s success. Mora’s first goal came in the 24th minute, capitalizing on a rebound from a saved header following a free kick taken by Kristoffer Velde. He doubled the Timbers’ lead in the 36th minute, again scoring from a rebound, bringing the score to 2-0. Real Salt Lake managed to pull one back just five minutes later, when Justen Glad scored a header into the top corner, making it 2-1.
As the match progressed, the Timbers extended their lead late in the game when Kamal Miller scored in the 82nd minute, heading in a cross from Ariel Lassiter to finalize the score at 3-1. Timbers goalkeeper James Pantemis played a crucial role as well, making several important saves that helped maintain the lead throughout the match.
The victory marked the Timbers’ first playoff series advancement since 2021 and only their second win in their last 11 matches. With this win, the Timbers are set to participate in the best-of-three series against San Diego FC, with the first game taking place on Sunday. The second game will be held at Providence Park on Saturday, November 1, at 6:30 PM PT. Tickets for the Portland game will be available for purchase starting Thursday, October 23, at 12 PM (Pacific) through SeatGeek.
The entire Round One series will be broadcast live on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV in both English and Spanish. Additionally, local radio broadcasts will be available on 750 The Game for English listeners and La GranD 1150AM/93.5 FM for Spanish-speaking audiences.
On the other hand, this loss added to Real Salt Lake’s struggles, marking their eighth consecutive playoff match without a win, consisting of three losses and five draws. The match also attracted attention due to controversial officiating, including a notable missed handball call against Real Salt Lake in the first half.
Prior to this match, Felipe Mora had experienced a scoring drought, with his last goal being in May. His performance in this critical playoff game not only helped his team advance but also reignited his scoring prowess at a crucial time. The significance of this match is underscored by the Timbers’ determination to capitalize on their playoff appearance, aiming for a deeper run in the tournament.
The Portland Timbers now look forward to their upcoming matches, inspired by a strong performance in the Wild Card Game, hoping to build momentum as they transition to the next phase of the playoffs.
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Additional Resources
- Portland Timbers Official Match Recap
- OregonLive: Mora Leads Timbers
- The Guardian: Timbers vs Real Salt Lake
- KSL Sports: Portland Advances
- Sports Illustrated: 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs Predictions
- Wikipedia: Major League Soccer
- Google Search: Portland Timbers 2025 playoffs
- Google Scholar: Portland Timbers history
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Portland Timbers
- Google News: Portland Timbers
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