The hosts are not resting on their laurels after their victory

Phil Neville believes the Portland Timbers’ hard work is starting to show ahead of their match against Houston Dynamo on Saturday.

The Timbers have won three of their last four games, including both at home during this stretch, and sit ninth in the Western Conference.

Against Austin FC on Wednesday, they kept their first clean sheet of the season with a 2-0 victory.

Neville hopes Portland can continue their recent momentum as they look to close the gap on the teams above them.

“There is good cohesion in the team and good structure. The players are now doing their job and doing it to the expected ability,” Neville said.

“The last two or three games we saw a continuation of the work that we’ve been doing. We knew we had a lot of work to do to turn things around here and that it would take time, and I’m super proud of that. the shopping center.

“If we truly believe in what we are doing and have the confidence to be the team we can be, then we will have to go back on Saturday. There is no looking back and resting on our laurels. be ruthless and you have to be relentless.”

Houston sits eighth in the league, two points better than its opponents on Saturday, and won 3-1 against Colorado Rapids in midweek.

“It’s a team that always thinks about moving forward,” said assistant coach Juan Guerra.

“We are very focused on playing football with an attractive possession style to go forward and be able to create opportunities. (Wednesday) it came in, and I hope it continues, starting with Saturday .”

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Portland Woods–Evander

Evander scored his seventh goal of the season on Wednesday to go along with five assists in his 12 appearances this season. The only other Timbers player to record 12 goals in his first 12 games of a season was Diego Valeri during his 2017 MVP season.

Houston Dynamo – Latif Blessing

Blessing found the net in consecutive matches for the first time in nearly five years, since he did so for Los Angeles FC in August 2019.

Blessing’s two goals last week came after he scored just two goals in his previous 89 MLS appearances dating back to the start of the 2021 season.

GAME PREDICTION: PORTLAND TIMBERS WIN

With their victory in Austin on Wednesday, the Timbers have won three of their last four matches (1 loss) after winning only two of their first 12 matches this season (4 draws, 6 losses). Portland’s 2-0 victory over Austin on Wednesday also ended a streak of 20 consecutive games allowing a goal.

However, Dynamo won three straight matches against Portland after being winless in the previous eight meetings (3 draws, 5 losses). Neither team has managed four consecutive victories against the other in all competitions.

Houston won for just the second time in nine matches in all competitions with a 3-1 win over Colorado on Wednesday. It was Dynamo’s first three-goal performance since their last visit to Portland, a 3-1 victory on Decision Day last season.

PROBABILITY OF WINNING OPTA

Portland wood – 42.1%

Draw – 26.7%

Houston Dynamo – 31.2%