Timbers are closing in on the playoff spot with Dallas on deck

The Portland Timbers will look to secure a playoff spot and climb the standings when they host FC Dallas on Sunday night in the teams' penultimate game of the regular season.

The Timbers (12-11-9, 45 points) enter the weekend in ninth place and have at least secured a spot in the wild-card playoff game. If Portland loses both of its final two games and Austin wins both of its remaining games, Austin will also need to make up a 19-goal difference to deny the Timbers a spot in the postseason.

The Timbers are more likely to move up the table. Portland can avoid the wild-card round if it can climb to seventh place, currently held by Vancouver with 47 points, and can host the wild-card game if it can overtake Minnesota (46 points).

Portland finds itself in this situation after a 1-0 home loss to Austin on Wednesday. The Timbers failed despite outscoring the visitors 25-7 overall and 10-1 in shots on goal, seeing a 10-game home unbeaten streak wiped out.

Portland was forced to sit for the first time all season, while star midfielder Evander failed to score or provide an assist for the first time in 12 games.

“We looked a little desperate trying to force goals,” Portland coach Phil Neville said after the loss to Austin. “We couldn’t find the goal that would put us in the position we wanted. This club never does anything really easy or simple.”

The Toros (10-15-7, 37 points) are doing little but flexing their muscles as they head to the Pacific Northwest for Sunday's game. Dallas lost 3-2 on the road to basement-based San Jose on Wednesday and is 2-4-1 in its seven games since League Cup competition and has been eliminated from postseason consideration.

Dallas scored goals in Wednesday's loss through Alan Velasco and Sebastien Ibeagha, the latter in the 90th minute. The Toros' Jesus Ferreira was beaten by a penalty in the 89th minute, and Dallas only had one good chance to score in six minutes of stoppage time.

“Very disappointed, very sad, angry at the same time,” said Dallas interim coach Peter Luccin. “It's so disappointing. The goal we conceded, the chances we missed. Very, very disappointing. We didn’t take care of business and it’s all on us.”

The Timbers are tied with FC Dallas 11-11 in the all-time series, with 11 ties. The Toros won the first meeting between the two teams this season 3-2 in Frisco, Texas.

–Field level media