Timbers beat Real Salt Lake 3-1 to reach MLS first round

PORTLAND, Ore. — Felipe Mora scored twice in the first half and Kamal Miller added a late header as the Portland Timbers beat Real Salt Lake 3-1 on Wednesday night at Providence Park to advance from the Western Conference wild-card round into the MLS playoffs' best-of-three first round.

Mora opened the scoring in the 24th minute, following a Kristoffer Velde free kick; RSL goalkeeper Rafael Cabral made an initial save but Mora was first to the rebound and finished into the upper corner. He struck again in the 35th, pouncing on another rebound after a saved header to make it 2-0. Justen Glad pulled one back for Real Salt Lake in the 39th with a header from Diogo Gonçalves' cross, his first postseason goal. Miller sealed the win in the 82nd minute with a wide-open header at the back post from an Ariel Lassiter cross.

The victory sends Portland into a first-round series against San Diego FC, the Western Conference regular-season champions. Game 1 is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Sunday at Snapdragon Stadium, with Game 2 set for Nov. 1 at Providence Park. The wild-card round was a single-elimination match; the winner of Wednesday's game takes on the top seed in a best-of-three series.