Surprisingly enough, Providence Park's second game of the 2017 MLS season will be a battle of unbeatens on Saturday night — the 2-0-0 Portland Timbers against the upstart 2-0-0 Houston Dynamo (7:30 PM, TV on ROOT Sports).
The Timbers will enter Saturday looking to win back-to-back-to-back games for the first time since the late spring of 2015, while Houston is looking to win three straight for the first time since July of 2012. It should be an excellent game.
The History
Houston was the Western Conference's worst team last year, and the club was supposed to similarly struggle this year. But the Dynamo — under new manager Wilmer Cabrera — beat the Seattle Sounders in Week 1, and thumped the Columbus Crew in Week 2. This is Houston's first road game of the year.
The home team has traditionally dominated this series. As bad as the Timbers have been over the years in Houston, the Dynamo haven't won in Portland since the Timbers' expansion season of 2011.
They have, however, had some close calls. Last year, the Dynamo went up 2-0 at Providence Park in June — only to fade late and lose 3-2. Houston also blew a 2-0 second half lead in Portland in 2015, drawing that game 2-2.
Houston is likely to start Eric Alexander, the Timbers' 2012 assist leader, in their midfield.
The Tactics
Portland's makeshift backline held up exceedingly well in LA last weekend, and it will be tested again on Saturday. Captain Liam Ridgewell remains out injured, so Roy Miller will make his home debut alongside Lawrence Olum in central defense.
Vytas, meanwhile, is a game-time decision at left back. If he can't go, Caleb Porter will have no qualms in turning to 18-year-old Centennial High senior Marco Farfan to make his second MLS start.
Both Diego Chara and David Guzman escaped punishment for diving against the Galaxy, but Guzman is also a game-time decision after separating his shoulder as a result of that bizarre incident that got Jelle Van Damme sent off last weekend.
If Guzman can't go, Porter has a number of options in central midfield from Ben Zemanski to Darlington Nagbe to Amobi Okugo.
Zemanski is the like-for-like change, but Nagbe is the more attacking option — and moving him centrally would open up a spot for Dairon Asprilla or Darren Mattocks to get a start out wide. That said, the Timbers have been adamant about keeping Nagbe on the left wing week in and week out this year. We'll see how Porter wants to play it.
Houston will come out to absorb pressure and look to hit Portland on the counter. They've got some pace on their flanks, and an in form striker in Cubo Torres. It'll be interesting to watch how aggressive Porter wants his fullbacks to play early — if they sit in like they did against LA, it'll be a sign that he thinks the Dynamo are dangerous.
The Linuep
90 - Gleeson
2 - Powell
13 - Olum
7 - Miller
32 - Farfan
21 - Chara
6 - Nagbe
27 - Asprilla
8 - Valeri (C)
10 - Blanco
9 - Adi
The Pick
Houston is legit, but the Timbers — as they have the last few times these teams have met in Portland — will overwhelm them in the second half. 3-1 Timbers.
