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Timbers aim to continue surge against Dynamo

Jun 19, 2015 - 4:59 PM Portland, OR (SportsNetwork.com) - The Portland Timbers will shoot to continue their positive run of form on Saturday when the club welcomes Western Conference rivals Houston Dynamo to Providence Park.

It's been an up-and-down season for the Timbers, but Caleb Porter's men have found their form recently and enter the clash looking for a fourth consecutive victory following a 2-0 win over the New England Revolution on June 6.

Both teams traded quality scoring chances for the majority of the match before the home side finally broke the deadlock in the 86th minute.

Striker Fanendo Adi, who has struggled with his form of late, did well to get on the end of pass from Jorge Villafana and fire it in behind New England goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth.

Just three minutes later Adi buried his second of the day, this time beating Shuttleworth off an assist from Alves Powell for his sixth goal of the season.

"I thought it was our best performance of the year from start to finish, both sides of the ball. I thought our patience and continuing to be disciplined and not give up a goal until we got the goal was really key," said Porter. "A lot of positives. I don't need to talk about all of them. I hope that you guys will. I will leave that to you. It was a great result and we have to keep it going."

"I think its very important, not just for me, but for the entire team," added Adi. "We've won three in a row. It's beautiful. I think it was a great job from the entire team."

Houston, meanwhile, is looking for its second consecutive win following a comfortable 4-2 triumph over the New York Red Bulls back on June 5.

Houston fell behind in the 42nd minute when Bradley Wright-Phillips slid one through to Mike Grella, who made a quick move past the defense and beat Dynamo goalkeeper Tyler Deric to the short side for the opening salvo.

Looking for an offensive spark with his team down a goal at the break, Houston manager Owen Coyle brought Boniek Garcia off the bench and the move paid dividends in the 59th minute when Will Bruin found Garcia open on the right side of the pitch. The Honduras international took a touch and beat New York goalkeeper Luis Robles with a looping effort.

The Dynamo grabbed the lead 18 minutes from time when Garcia played a well- struck corner kick to the back post, where an unmarked Ricardo Clark volleyed it home.

The hosts doubled their advantage with 10 minutes to play as Bruin did well to control a long cross-field pass and drive into the box. The forward cut inside to his right foot and fired a strike that took a deflection and beat Robles.

New York pulled one back in stoppage time as Marius Obekop did well to keep the ball in play on the end line and looped a cross into the box, where Bertrand Abang got on the end of it for an easy headed finish.

But Bruin sealed the win for the Dynamo in the third minute of added time with a cool finish into the bottom left corner to complete his brace.

"I'm not going to pat myself on the back. It's my job to score goals," Bruin said. "It's a game of inches, but one thing I've learned throughout my career so far is you've got to stay on an even keel. You can't get too happy when things are going good because then on the other side you'll be too down on yourself when things are going bad."