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Timbers battle Revolution at Jeld-Wen Field

Sep 15, 2011 - 10:20 PM Portland, OR (Sports Network) - The Portland Timbers have not played like an expansion team at home, and another win Friday night against the New England Revolution will move the club into a playoff spot.

With 10 out of 18 teams in Major League Soccer advancing to the playoffs, the Timbers (9-12-6) sit just one point out of a postseason berth.

Portland has totaled 26 of its 33 points at home and with New England visiting Jeld-Wen Field this weekend, it has an opportunity to earn three more points and move into a tie for eighth in the overall standings.

Although the rest of the league plays Saturday, and Portland may drop back out of the playoff spots, doing its part against New England (5-11-12) will set it up for run at the postseason.

The Timbers have eight of their nine wins at home, and are on a three-game run without a loss after a 0-0 draw at the Philadelphia Union last week. That draw followed two straight wins.

Now, Portland just has to earn maximum points in its last three home matches - starting against New England - and it could easily find itself in the playoffs in its debut season.

"You know it's like this every year, it comes down to about seven or eight teams, it comes down to that last game," Portland defender David Horst said. "Every game at the end of the year is so vital. So you always have to play well every game because each could be your last."

"Going home now obviously the rest of the games are very important, and I think we all know that. We're all incredibly hungry to get into the playoffs, we know our fans deserve it and we definitely want to do that for them," said Portland striker Kenny Cooper.

Although New England does not present much of a challenge on paper as the club is just 1-7-6 on the road this season, it has played well of late.

The Revolution turned a seven-game winless streak into a four-match undefeated run with a 2-0 win over FC Dallas, and has compiled a 1-1-4 record in its last four road matches. New England has also averaged two goals a match in last six road games.

New England is still tied on points for last in the Eastern Conference, but is also just nine points out of a top-three finish and a guaranteed playoff spot. But midfielder Benny Feilhaber believed it was wrong to look ahead.

"If we get three points here, three points there and we're starting to climb up the rankings, then yeah, then maybe we can sneak in there, but that's not where our minds should be right now," Feilhaber said.

However, with a win at Portland this week, New England would face road matches at Chicago and Toronto FC - the other teams tied on 27 points at the bottom of the East - and its other three games are at home. That schedule would give it a shot at the postseason, but a loss this week would make the climb steep.

"The one thing about this team is that even though things haven't gone our way, we've kept our chins up," New England goalie Matt Reis said.