The Portland Timbers are closing in on their longest single-season string of MLS shutouts and would appear to have a promising chance of securing that accomplishment with a visit from the Houston Dynamo.
The Timbers blanked the Dynamo in Portland two months ago as part of a lengthy home unbeaten streak that they'll seek to extend Friday night.
Portland (11-8-6) hasn't recorded four consecutive shutouts in one campaign during its five seasons in the league but has an opportunity to do so after a 1-0 road win over Real Salt Lake on Saturday. The Timbers also won 1-0 in their most recent home game Aug. 7 against Chicago and have outscored opponents 12-2 in a 6-0-2 stretch at Providence Park.
"Last year, we didn't like our form defensively. We felt it probably cost us (a playoff spot) even though we were close at the end," coach Caleb Porter said. "We dropped too many points last year because of our lack of commitment to defending. That's something we wanted to address."
That solid defense is a big reason his club has climbed into fourth in the Western Conference, within four points of first-place Los Angeles.
"We've got nine games left, five of them at home. We want to be ruthless in looking to get three points in every single game," Porter said. "If we do that, we're going to be in a good spot."
Among the wins during the current home unbeaten streak was a 2-0 victory over Houston on June 20, one of Adam Kwarasey's league-leading 11 clean sheets. Maximiliano Urruti and Gaston Fernandez scored as Portland avenged a 3-1 loss in Houston from May 16, the Dynamo's only victory in the past five meetings.
Houston (8-9-7) had a three-game unbeaten run snapped with a 2-0 loss at New England on Saturday. The Dynamo have been outscored 11-4 while going 1-5-2 away from home in league play since May 21, and they've been held to two goals while going 0-3-1 in their last four road games across all competitions.
"We pick ourselves up and we go again. That's what we do. That's the nature of this game," coach Owen Coyle said. "When you've had a disappointment you do one of two things, you feel sorry for yourself or you get up in the morning and prepare to do something about it and that's the way we've always been and that's the way we will be."
The Dynamo played without their third-leading goal scorer Ricardo Clark, who has been out since Aug. 1 because of an ailing hamstring. Defender Jermaine Taylor (quad) and midfielder Rob Lovejoy (hamstring) are also expected to sit out for the trip to Portland.
The Timbers have one long-term injury, midfielder Ben Zemanski's torn ACL.
