MLS Cup is returning to Portland as the Timbers played spoiler to Real Salt Lake’s incredible Cinderella story with a 2-0 victory in the Western Conference Final on Saturday night. Portland finished the regular season with more points (55) than NYCFC (51) and the Philadelphia Union (54) meaning the final will be hosted in Portland.
Real Salt Lake was putting together one of the greatest MLS Cinderella stories since the team’s 2009 championship run. The Timbers bippity boppity booted Real Salt Lake out after the No. 7 seed pulled off magical victories against the No. 2 seed Seattle Sounders and No. 3 seed Sporting KC.
Salt Lake did what it couldn’t do against Seattle and actually recorded shots, however RSL couldn’t keep the Timbers out its goal. The two goals that the Timbers scored were slapdash and shambolic for RSL to say the least.
Portland’s top scorer in the regular season, Felipe Mora, was gifted a goal in the fifth minute with one of the worst clearances you’ll ever see. RSL goalkeeper and MLS’ greatest trash-talker David Ochoa was left out to dry despite the wet conditions.
@TimbersFC STRIKES FIRST!!! pic.twitter.com/c3P2ZDWDYV
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) December 5, 2021
Salt Lake’s best chance of the game came in the first half with Steve Clark denying a point-blank header from Damir Kreilach.
STEVE CLARK @TimbersFC pic.twitter.com/Aa7aqGPi79
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) December 5, 2021
The second half was anyone’s game with both sides seeing chances. Another bizarre goal from Portland extended the lead to 2-0 in the 61st minute. Ochoa’s trash talk has painted a behemoth target on his back as the Timbers Army booed his every touch. It would be Ochoa’s literal back that got the final touch on Portland’s second goal.
HUGE GOAL FOR @TimbersFC TO LEAD BY TWO pic.twitter.com/1MTVxS0HJ5
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) December 5, 2021
Another look at that beautiful strike by @TimbersFC's Santiago Moreno pic.twitter.com/q0QRQ4nn3G
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) December 5, 2021
What a strike by Santiago Moreno.
It’s highly likely that the 2021 MLS Cup will be battled by Portland and NYCFC. The Eastern Conference Final will be played on Sunday featuring a Covid battered Philadelphia Union side.
Philadelphia Union will be without 11 players, including six starters, for the Eastern Conference Final against NYCFC on Sunday as a result of MLS COVID-19 protocols pic.twitter.com/dfA57M0dB7
— B/R Football (@brfootball) December 4, 2021
The Eastern Conference Final kicks off at 3 p.m. ET on ABC.
MLS Cup will be at 3 p.m. ET on Saturday, Dec. 11 at Providence Park.
Final whistle ➡️ PORTLAND IS HYPED pic.twitter.com/tMZYUn8Nls
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) December 5, 2021
@MLS' 2021 Western Conference Champions @TimbersFC lift their trophy pic.twitter.com/PYt0mxZskl
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) December 5, 2021
