After a lengthy recovery process from two separate knee procedures, Portland Timbers forward Felipe Mora will be on the bench and available for selection Saturday vs. New York City FC.
It is a fitting opponent for Mora’s return: Saturday is the first time NYCFC has visited Providence Park since MLS Cup 2021, when Mora’s dramatic late goal sent the match into extra time. The Timbers eventually lost in penalty kicks.
Mora, 29, returned to training with teammates on May 30 and has ramped up his workload since, even attempting a bicycle kick during a scrimmage on June 8. He had cartilage restoration surgery in August 2022, his second knee procedure that season with a recovery period lasting nearly 11 months.
Mora has 19 goals and seven assists in 55 appearances (35 starts) for the Timbers since joining the club in 2020, and he signed a contract extension in the offseason through 2025 with a club option for 2026. The Chilean national will compete immediately for minutes at the striker spot with Franck Boli, Jaroslaw Niezgoda and Nathan Fogaça.
— Ryan Clarke, rclarke@oregonian.com, Twitter: @RyanTClarke
