Portland reaches a wildcard spot in a 3-1 win over Houston

Portland Timbers got the job done last Sunday night in the final home game of the MLS regular season, securing a convincing victory over Houston Dynamo. Everything was working in Portland’s favor; Seattle, Salt Lake City, and Colorado, all rivals for the wildcard spot to the playoffs, had lost their games. Seattle was routed 5-1 by Vancouver and Colorado lost 4-2 to Chicago, which greatly hurt their goal difference. Portland’s two-goal win allowed the Timbers to pass both of them into 8th place, and they can now threaten LA Galaxy’s 7th spot should the Angelinos draw or lose their last game in Salt Lake City against Real. 

Houston Dynamo, already mathematically qualified for the playoffs, was playing to stay high in the table. In the MLS postseason, the highest-seeded team has more home-field advantage, so they didn’t come to Portland for the holiday. The men, led by Ben Olsen, are in great form and looking to get a good result to keep up the momentum. While Vancouver, the West Conference leader, is out of reach, the next four teams are all separated by just 3 points. 

Portland closed the week knowing the results, but also under pressure to deliver in front of local fans and prove the team hasn’t lost its ambition to reach the postseason. After a shaky start, nerves may have played a role; the Timbers looked to regain their confidence after David Da Costa opened the scoring in the 25th minute, with an assist from Vincent Janssen. From there, the team seemed to click and began playing some of the best football since Catalan coach Martí Cifuentes took the reins this summer. 

Houston controlled the midfield, but Portland created plenty of danger on quick transitions, especially through the speed and quality of Kirstoffer Velde. His ability to drop deep into the Dynamo’s back line was a constant headache for the defense. Vincent Janssen’s work was notable; playing in his natural forward position, he was critical in building combinations with Velde, Ariel Lassiter, and midfielder David Da Costa. The 1-0 lead didn’t feel like enough, and Portland kept threatening Houston for the rest of the match to secure the win.

Janssen set up the second goal with a long ball that broke through Dynamo’s high defensive line. The winger calmly put the ball past Houston goalkeeper Jonathan Bond to extend Portland’s advantage. The second half followed the same script, and while Houston created chances, Portland looked much sharper. Still, Houston never gave up, and in the 71st minute, Agustin Bouzat scored after capitalizing on their high press. Portland responded 7 minutes later when Janssen finally got on the scoreboard from a set piece, completing a corner delivered by David Da Costa. 

At the end of regulation, Portland secured three important points, putting them in a position where they didn’t have to rely on any results to reach the postseason. They will close the regular season at Austin FC—a team sitting in next-to-last place in the Western Conference standings. Austin will be a tough place to close the season; they have no chance of improving their final position and no pressure. Portland must win that game. 

Many scenarios await at the end of the race for the final postseason spots, with 6 teams separated by just 3 points; among them, a wild-card game with the Seattle Sounders is on the cards if Colorado draws or loses its last game. It is too close to even pretend to predict, but at Providence Park, nobody believes last Sunday was the last time they’ll see their Timbers; still, as the season draws closer, the fans gave the players gifts and named Finn Surman player of the year.

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