The Cup Finals Are Set

12/06/2021 The Cup Finals Are Set

By: Jeff Yoder

Portland Timbers & New York City FC to Meet in MLS Cup Final

The finals are set! The Portland Timbers and New York City FC are heading to the MLS Cup finale next Saturday. It’s the third finals appearance for Portland and the first trip to the finals for NYCFC. Portland won it all in 2015 before finishing runner-ups in 2018. They’ve never hosted the final, but the kings of the west will have home-field advantage on Saturday. Here’s how both clubs captured their conference finals over the weekend:

 

#4 Portland Timbers def. #7 Real Salt Lake (2-0)

Portland jump on Salt Lake early in Saturday’s western conference final thanks to an early goal from Felipe Mora (5’). Santiago Moreno (61’) tallied the insurance strike early in the second half en route to the shutout. Real Salt Lake was the underdog story of the playoffs, but it’s another trip to the finals for Portland.

 

#4 New York City FC def. #2 Philadelphia Union (2-1)

Sunday’s eastern conference final saw New York City FC make more history with the club’s first trip to the Cup Finals. NYCFC needed a second-half comeback after trailing 1-0. Maximiliano Moralez (65’) knotted things up before Talles Magno (88’) struck the decider in the final minutes. Five years after joining the MLS as the league’s 20th expansion team, NYCFC has a shot at glory.

 

MLS Cup Finals

Portland Timbers vs. New York City FC

Saturday, Dec. 11 (3:00 pm ET)

 

Additional Storylines

ESPN: Portland Timbers’ MLS Dream Becomes a Reality

MLS: 3 Takeaways From NYCFC’s Historic Win to Reach 1st-Ever MLS Cup

 

Photo: Ira L. Black – Corbis / Getty Images