Portland Timbers Atlanta Bound, Ready For Saturday's MLS Cup

PORTLAND, OR – They were leaving on a jet plane, hoping to return on Sunday with their second MLS Cup in four years. The Portland Timbers left the Rose City for Atlanta on Wednesday.

They'll be playing Atlanta United FC, who made the championship in only their second year in the league.

The game is set for 5 p.m. Portland time on Saturday at Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz, which is expected to be filled with 75,000 soccer fans.

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There were several points during the season when a return to the championship seemed unlikely. The team finished with a 15-10-9 record, landing them fifth in the Western Conference.

They also scored only 54 goals during the season, just six more than they gave up.

One thing that the Timbers have working to their advantage is that when they won their first MLS Cup in 2015, they did so playing on the road against Columbus. Eight players from that team are still with Portland.

The Timbers's famed Victory Log – a piece of which is cut off by chainsaw for each goal – left for Atlanta on Friday thanks to Portland-based Daimler Trucks North America.

Photo/video via Portland Timbers.