Portland Timbers will be the Philadelphia Union’s opponent in MLS is Back semifinal

The Philadelphia Union won’t have to beat NYCFC again to advance to the final of the MLS is Back Tournament

The Portland Timbers became the last team to book a spot in the final four of the tournament with a 3-1 win over NYCFC early Sunday morning.

The Timbers came back from a one-goal deficit with three unanswered goals after Jesús Medina’s 27th minute penalty kick. An NYCFC win would have put three of the four teams from Group A into the semis.

Orlando City SC will play Minnesota United in the semifinal scheduled for August 6.

The Union have beaten the Timbers just once in 10 tries (1-6-3). The Timbers won 3-1 in their last meeting in Chester last May.

The Union’s only win in the series was a 3-0 victory in Chester five years ago.

Matthew Ralph

Matthew Ralph is the managing editor of Philadelphia Soccer Now. He's covered soccer at all levels for a decade in the Philadelphia region and has also written for TheCup.us, NPSL, PrepSoccer and other publications. He lives with his wife and two young children in Broomall, Pa., but grew up in South Jersey and is originally from Kansas.

See Full Bio