Categories: MLSPortland TimbersReal Salt LakeWestern Conference

¡Gracias, Pipe! Mora shows gratitude for six years in Portland with a brace for Timber’s 2-1 comeback win over Salt Lake City

JULY 25, 2026 - PORTLAND, OR: (Photo by Diego G Diaz).

JULY 25, 2026 – PORTLAND, OR: Felipe Mora being celebrated by his teammates (Photo by Diego G Diaz).

The Portland Timbers beat Real Salt Lake City in a comeback 2-1 victory on Saturday, July 25, in an MLS regular-season match. The victory reinforces the new trajectory the franchise is taking after firing coach Phil Neville, having won seven out of nine points in the last three games after league play resumed.

Real Salt Lake opened the scoring in a chippy first half. The Uruguayan winger Juan Sanabria placed a shot with his left, assisted by Morgan Guilavogui. Timbers progressively started to create opportunities, pushing RSL back and owning possession. Both teams played aggressively in a very physical match, but Salt Lake City grew desperate to get the ball back and to stop the flood of Portland attacks.

However, RSL would soon find themselves down to ten men after Morgan Guilavogui saw a red card for violent conduct on a foul on Jimer Fory.

The big news of the day Saturday was Timbers Felipe Mora’s last match in Portland, as he is being transferred to Liga MX team Atlético de San Luis. The sudden news seemed to hide a sought-after transfer in search of more playing minutes. For interim coach Jack Cassidy, his placement in the starting eleven was a no-brainer with Kevin Kelsey unavailable. Mora wanted to say farewell to the fans, and he did it in the most loving way: two headers in set pieces the 56th and 67th minutes, and the stadium exploded.

After the final whistle, it was time for a tribute to Felipe Mora, the hero of the night, who got a very emotional send-off. An ideal parting gift for the fans, and a very strong position to start in his new team. They say you have to leave a place better than how you find it, and he certainly did his part, ranking third in the franchise’s all-time scoring, with goals like the equalizer in the 2021 MLS Cup final in their 1-1 draw vs New York City FC.

Portland’s good run in the restart of the MLS regular season is in part attributed to coach Jack Cassidy and modifications to Neville’s system, as he manages the team until new coach Martí Cifuentes gets his paperwork ready to fly in and take the reins of this project. Cifuentes, a native of Sant Cugat del Vallés, Barcelona, will be the new manager in the “new era” that sporting director Ned Gravaboy has promised to Portland fans.