Dynamo host Portland Timbers in return to league play: What to watch for
(image via Houston Dynamo FC)
The Houston Dynamo return to league play to host the Portland Timbers tonight at Shell Energy Stadium. The Dynamo last played nearly two weeks ago when they were eliminated from Leagues Cup with a 2-1 loss against Charlotte FC. Houston currently sits in 9th place in the Western Conference, the last playoff spot, and will look to pick up as many points as possible to close out the regular season.
When: Sunday, August 20 | 7:30 PM CT kickoff
Where: Shell Energy Stadium; Houston, Texas
TV/Stream: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV
Radio: ESPN 97.5 FM (English), TUDN Deportes Houston 93.3 FM (Spanish)
Open Cup on the horizon
The Dynamo have a very important league match tonight in their fight to make the playoffs and there’s a big game looming Wednesday as well. Houston will host Real Salt Lake midweek in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup semifinal. A shot at silverware is so close but the Dynamo can’t afford to look ahead. Head coach Ben Olsen knows it’s a busy week ahead and the team has to stay focused. “The mentality right now is all focus, all eyes, all prep on Portland and trying to get a win at home,” Olsen said this week. “In some ways, it makes it easier for a coach to prepare for these next couple of games because they're all of the highest importance because of where we’re at on the table. We're not second place in the West where we can throw a game away to focus on just the U.S. Open Cup. We’ll go after the next one and then, of course, we always have an eye on Wednesday. If you have that luxury, there are scenarios to set yourself up for success in the next game, but ultimately, you have to take the game in front of you. It’s a vital matchup for us. Portland's right below us. They want to go where we are. We want to go forward to give ourselves a little bit more cushion and not be right on that line all the time. So, we’ll go after this game and then the second that ends, we’ll evaluate what we have and go after the Real Salt Lake game as if that's the most important game of the season. We’ll just keep doing that until the end of the year. That’s exhausting, but that's where we're at, and that's the final third portion of every season, especially when you're in the situation we're at. We have a U.S. Open Cup game we want to advance in, and every game is crucial if we're going to meet our objective of getting into the postseason.”
Playoff push
It’s been a long wait for Dynamo fans to see a playoff game again. Houston hasn’t been in the postseason since 2017. Right now, the Dynamo sit in 9th, hanging on to the final spot in the West. Tonight starts a vital stretch and the team knows they are still evolving and working on things. Just don’t expect them to reveal everything they’re doing. “We’re working through a bunch of areas as a group,” goalkeeper Steve Clark told the media Friday. “Obviously, I’m going to keep a lot of that stuff private just because it's our tactical plan. But as a player and as a group, you want to progress throughout a season, and results are important, but the development of a group and of the individuals is also important. We’re working really hard to do that.”
Portland looking to pounce
Portland has struggled this season, currently sitting in 12th in the Western Conference. While they haven’t played well so far this season, they still have a number of dangerous players who can take over a game. Designated Player Evander has begun to find his feet in Major League Soccer and will look to spur a Timbers offense that has struggled to score all season. The Dynamo will look to keep Portland down, not just for their own playoff push but to keep Portland down in the standings.
Availability Report
Houston Dynamo - report not available
Portland Timbers – Out: David Ayala (left knee), Diego Chara (yellow card accumulation), Marvin Loria (excused absence), Santiago Moreno (right knee), Eryk Williamson (right knee)
Predicted Lineup
