PORTLAND — Felipe Mora scored two first-half goals, defender Kamal Miller added another in the 82nd minute and the Portland Timbers beat Real Salt Lake 3-1 on Wednesday night in a wild-card match.
Portland advances to play Western Conference regular-season champion San Diego in a best-of-three first-round playoff series.
Mora opened the scoring in the 24th minute. RSL goalkeeper Rafael Cabral made the initial save of a glancing header off a free kick, but Mora was first to the rebound for shot into the upper corner.
It was Mora’s first goal during MLS play since May 3 against San Jose, snapping a 23-game scoreless run.
Photo by Soobum Im/Getty Images
Mora made it 2-0 in the 35th on another rebound. Cabral denied a point-blank header, but Mora pounced on the rebound.
Justen Glad cut RSL’s deficit to 2-1 in the 39th when he headed in Diogo Gonçalves‘ cross for his first-ever postseason goal.
Miller capped the scoring on a wide-open header at the back post for the lone second-half goal.
The Timbers tied a club record by scoring three goals in a playoff game, doing so for the fifth time.
RSL was in the playoffs for a conference-best fifth straight season.
