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The Portland Timbers look to clinch a spot in the playoffs and spark a move up the standings when they host FC Dallas on Sunday evening in the teams’ penultimate match of the regular season.

The Timbers (12-11-9, 45 points) begin the weekend in ninth place and are all but assured of a berth in at least the wild card playoff match. If Portland loses both of its final two contests and Austin wins both of their remaining matches, Austin also will have to make up a 19-goal differential to deny the Timbers a place in the postseason.

It’s more likely that the Timbers make a move up in the standings. Portland can avoid the wild-card round if it can climb into seventh place, currently held by Vancouver with 47 points, and can host the wild card match if it can pass Minnesota (46 points).

Portland finds itself in this situation after a 1-0 loss at home to Austin on Wednesday. The Timbers fell despite outshooting the visitors 25-7 overall and 10-1 in shots on target and saw a 10-match home unbeaten run snapped.

Portland was shut out on its pitch for the first time all season while star midfielder Evander was held without either a goal or an assist for the first time in 12 matches.

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

The Toros (10-15-7, 37 points) are doing little besides playing out the string as they head to the Pacific Northwest for Sunday’s match. Dallas lost to cellar-dwelling San Jose 3-2 on the road on Wednesday to fall to 2-4-1 in its seven matches since Leagues Cup competition and has been eliminated from postseason consideration.

Dallas got goals in Wednesday’s loss from Alan Velasco and Sebastien Ibeagha, the latter in the 90th minute. The Toros’ Jesus Ferreira was stropped on a penalty kick in the 89th minute, and Dallas managed just one decent scoring chance in six minutes of stoppage time.

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

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

–Field Level Media