A must-win for the Timbers

Victory in regular-season home finale with Charleston could bolster Portland's playoff chances

By Steve Brandon

The Portland Tribune, Sep 10, 2008, Updated Oct 30, 2009

In effect, for the Portland Timbers, the playoffs have arrived. For them, it’s pretty much one (more loss) and done.

Strange things could happen, of course, but if the Timbers are going to make the postseason, they almost certainly need at least one and probably both of their final two games.

The regular-season home finale is 7 p.m. Thursday against the Charleston Battery.

“It’s a must-win,” Portland coach Gavin Wilkinson says. “I said three games ago that we needed nine points the rest of the way. We’ve gotten three (for a home win over Miami). We have six remaining that we need to grab.”

The other opportunity comes Sept. 20, when Portland wraps up its 30-game regular season at Carolina, another team on the outside looking in but still in the playoff hunt. Portland is 0-1-1 against Carolina this year.

Seven teams from the USL First Division will advance. Portland is in ninth place, but with 31 points is just two points behind seventh-place Minnesota and one in back of No. 8 Atlanta. Minnesota and Portland have two games to play; Atlanta has three, but all are on the road. Charleston plays Saturday at Minnesota.

Carolina is 10th with 30 points and three games left. Miami has 28 points and two games remaining.

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