News Summary
The Portland Timbers secured a 3-1 victory over Real Salt Lake in the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs Wild Card Game at Providence Park. Felipe Mora scored twice, helping the Timbers advance to the next round against San Diego FC. Real Salt Lake managed to score once but struggled against a solid Timbers defense and critical saves from goalkeeper James Pantemis. This marks the Timbers’ first playoff advancement since 2021, while Real Salt Lake continues a winless playoff streak.
Portland – The Portland Timbers triumphed over Real Salt Lake in a decisive 3-1 victory in the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs Western Conference Wild Card Game on Wednesday evening at Providence Park. With this win, the Timbers, who entered the playoffs as the No. 8 seed, have advanced to the Round One Best-of-3 Series against the top-seeded San Diego FC.
Felipe Mora was instrumental in the Timbers’ success, netting two goals in the playoff match. His first strike came in the 24th minute when he capitalized on a rebound from a saved header following a free kick taken by Kristoffer Velde. Mora extended the lead to 2-0 just 12 minutes later, again taking advantage of a rebound opportunity. Real Salt Lake managed to respond before halftime, with Justen Glad scoring their only goal of the match in the 39th minute through a header into the top corner.
The Timbers maintained their lead thanks to the efforts of goalkeeper James Pantemis, who made several critical saves throughout the match to keep Real Salt Lake at bay. Kamal Miller sealed the victory for Portland with a third goal in the 82nd minute, heading in a cross delivered by Ariel Lassiter.
With their victory, the Timbers will now take on San Diego FC in a three-game series beginning on Sunday. The second match will showcase the Timbers at home on Saturday, November 1, at 6:30 PM PT. Tickets for the Game 2 matchup will be available to the public starting Thursday, October 23, at 12 PM (Pacific) through SeatGeek. Fans can catch each game of Round One on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV in both English and Spanish, while local radio broadcasts will air on 750 The Game (English) and La GranD 1150AM/93.5 FM (Spanish).
This victory marks a significant achievement for the Timbers, who advance in the playoffs for the first time since 2021. Despite their success in this match, the result was only the second win for the Timbers in their last 11 matches. In contrast, Real Salt Lake’s defeat extended their winless playoff streak to eight matches, characterized by three losses and five draws.
Notably, the match featured controversial officiating, including a missed handball call against Real Salt Lake during the first half. The discrepancies added tension to an already intense playoff atmosphere. The Timbers now prepare with renewed optimism for their upcoming challenge against San Diego FC as they strive for further playoff success.
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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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