Portland Timbers midfielders Diego Chara and Will Johnson try to steal the ball away from Vancouver midfielder Mauro Rosales. (Photo : Reuters)
Major League Soccer action continues as the Portland Timbers (11-8-6, 39 points) battle the Houston Dynamo (8-9-7, 31 points) at the former's Providence Park in Portland, Oregon on Friday, August 21.
This regular season match is important for both teams who are trying to position themselves in the tight Western Conference playoff race.
Portland is flimsy at the no. 4 spot in the West as only one or two points separate no. 3 Sporting Kansas City (40 points) and no. 5 FC Dallas (38 points) in between them. Every win is now important at this stage as it will dramatically affect the overall standings instantly.
The Timbers are coming off a 1-0 win over Real Salt Lake last Saturday, via Oregon Live. Previously, they also won, 1-0, against the Chicago Fire on August 7 and drawn the San Jose Earthquakes, 0-0, last August 2.
Caleb Porter's men would like to continue their string of unbeaten games this month as they face the Dynamo at their home turf.
Meanwhile, Houston was having an up-and-down month. They lost their most recent match versus the New England Revolution, 0-2, as per the MLS official website.
Prior to that, Owen Coyle's team won 2-1 versus the Quakes on August 8 and had drawn Sporting, 1-1, on August 1.
Dynamo is clinging at the seventh spot in the West, four points behind sixth and last playoff placer Seattle Sounders, who currently has 35 points.
The predicted result is a 2-1 win by Portland over Houston. The Timbers will continue their decent play this August as the Dynamo searches for answers on how to qualify for the postseason.
Portland Timbers starting lineup (4-2-3-1 formation): Kwarasey; Villafaña, Ridgewell, Borchers, Powell; Chara, Johnson; Wallace, Valeri, Nagbe; Melano
Houston Dynamo starting lineup (4-4-1-1 formation): Deric; Beasley, Cochran, Horst, Williams; Davis, Sturgis, Garrido, Alex; Barnes, Bruin
