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By Will Conwell
GAME 23: Portland Timbers (7W-10L-5T) vs Houston Dynamo (6W-7L-10T)
Sunday, August 14, 6:00 p.m. ROOT/Galavision
Previous match-up(s): None

Undefeated in three games, the Timbers need to come away with a result against Houston as they jockey for a place in the post season. The Dynamo are also in the race for one of the league's wild card berths and a win over Houston would go a long way toward getting the Timbers into the playoffs.

After playing eight matches in July, the Timbers will be glad to have had a full week of before charging back into a packed schedule that sees them play five games in the next thirteen days. With twelve games remaining the Timbers need to pick up around 20 points to make the playoffs or 1.7 points per game. Luckily, the Timbers have games against many of the teams they are vying for the playoffs with, including Houston and Chivas USA, so their destiny is in their own hands.

The return of Diego Chara from suspension to man the midfield will certainly give the Timbers a boost. They lacked a real spark going forward in the absence of both Chara and Captain Jack Jewsbury, who is out due to injury. Recent acquisition Lovel Palmer will be returned to the right fullback position after Jeremy Hall picked up a red card in the dying moments of last Saturday's match against San Jose. Both Palmer and left fullback Mike Chabala will be well prepared to play against this Houston Dynamo team as they were both traded to the Timbers from Houston for midfielder Adam Moffat less than a month ago.

Up front the Timbers are still missing forward Eddie Johnson with a concussion and will likely see the pairing of Jorge Perlaza and Kenny Cooper start again. Bright Dike, who almost drew a penalty in his late game appearance against San Jose, will likely come off the bench again. Cooper and Perlaza have benefited from the Timbers' switch back to a 4-4-2 formation and their partnership is starting to show dividends for Portland.

This season Houston have been a tough team to play against and continue to show the grit and skill that Domminic Kinnear, Timbers coach John Spencer's friend and former mentor, values in his players. The Dynamo have struggled at times this season but despite several injuries, including several to US national team striker Brian Ching, the Dynamo have the quality to win. Houston is particularly dangerous at home, where all six of their wins have come.

While Brian Ching might be the most recognizable face on the team, midfielders Geoff Cameron and Brad Davis are both players to be watched. Davis leads the league in assists from his left wing position with ten, while Cameron has shown a passing vision and an ability to shoot from distance both from midfield and central defense, where he has played as well. Honduran forward Carlo Costly was also brought in on loan to the Dynamo and brings an additional attacking threat to Houston, having been capped 48 times for his country and scoring eighteen international goals.

STRATEGY
Against San Jose, the Timbers were forced to bring Lovel Palmer into the central midfield to fill the void left by the lack of Jewsbury and Chara. Palmer fit well as a defensively minded midfielder but he did not provide the box to box contributions of Chara. With Chara in the middle again the Timbers need to play with the same game plan that they brought against the Galaxy. By stretching the other team's defense, making use of runs out of the midfield, and controlling the pace of play the Timbers can create holes in the Dynamo defense.

Houston's attack is very effective in the air so Eric Brunner and David Horst will need to be aggressive in clearing balls from the area. Palmer and Chabala on the wings will also need to be very conscious of their positioning as Houston possesses dangerous wide players that can cut inside effectively. Houston also has a number of players that are threats to score from distance which means that the Timbers midfield cannot be caught napping and need to track back to put pressure on the Dynamo, particularly late in the game as the Texan heat takes its' toll.

TOP 5 GOAL SCORERS
1. Jack Jewsbury – 6
2. Jorge Perlaza – 5
3. Kenny Cooper – 4
6. Tie: Rodney Wallace/Mamadu ¬Å“Futty¬Â Danso/Eric Brunner – 2

NEXT 5 MATCHES
8/17 @ Kansas City
8/20 vs Vancouver
8/24 vs Chivas USA
9/10 @ Philadelphia
9/16 vs New England

BOTTOM LINE
The Timbers and the Dynamo are competing for the same playoff spot and a win will go a long way to sealing it up for either team. Every game from now on is vital so the Timbers need to grab every point they can, including three tonight that are within their reach.

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Pipeline's Portland Timbers  coverage by:

Will Conwell

Will Conwell is an aspiring novelist who spends his free time unloading trucks in warehouses. His passions in life are soccer, beer, and writing, which he has found are best enjoyed in concert. Will can be contacted at william.conwell@gmail.com or on twitter at TimbersPipeline.