Portland Timbers beat Real Salt Lake 3-1 at Providence Park and advanced to the first round of the 2025 Audi MLS Cup. Felipe Mora scored twice in the first half, and Kamal Miller sealed the win with a header late in the game. The result also extended an important mark: Portland has now won its opening playoff match for the fourth time in club history, repeating 2013, 2018, and 2021. The team will now face San Diego FC in a best-of-three series, starting at Snapdragon Stadium on October 26.
First-half control
Mora’s goals gave Portland the lead before halftime. In the 24th minute, he finished with his right foot on the rebound to break the deadlock. Eleven minutes later, he found himself in the right spot to score from close range and double the advantage. Real Salt Lake pulled one back in the 39th minute when Justin Glad connected with a Diogo Gonçalves cross and headed the ball to the far post, but the pace of the match didn’t shift. Timbers held their advantage without trouble until the whistle to end the first half.
Efficiency to the last minute
In the second half, Portland managed the result calmly. In the closing stretch, Ariel Lassiter delivered a precise cross to the far post, and Kamal Miller rose unmarked to head in the third. That goal sealed the victory and secured their place in the next round. Beyond its sporting value, the result marked the club’s 12th all-time MLS playoff win and its first since 2021.
Mora’s performance carried extra weight. It was the first time he scored twice in a playoff match, bringing his total to four postseason goals for Portland.
History helps explain the meaning behind this result. In its ninth playoff appearance, Timbers now have 12 wins, 7 draws, and 7 losses, with three MLS Cup Finals appearances (2015, 2018, and 2021) and one championship to its name.