Timbers topple misfiring Dynamo to book knockout spot

Portland outlasted Houston 2-1 on Saturday evening to secure a knockout stage berth at the MLS is Back Tournament.

Jeremy Ebobisse's second goal of the competition and Diego Valeri's tidy finish on the hour mark were enough to guide Giovanni Savarese's charges to victory over a Dynamo side that was wasteful in attack.

Alberth Elis scored for Houston in the 86th minute from the penalty spot after a VAR check confirmed that Portland full-back Jorge Villafana handled the ball.

With two victories from two matches in Group F play, the Timbers join Columbus, Philadelphia, and Orlando in the round of 16 at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida.

Ebobisse vaulted Portland into the lead 10 minutes from the break with a pinpoint strike from a tight angle that skipped past a flat-footed Marko Maric.

Ebobisse’s second goal of the competition highlighted an opening half that featured a litany of chances for both sides. Houston’s front-three of Elis, Mauro Manotas, and Darwin Quintero were particularly threatening in the first half, though inevitably came up empty.

The second half followed a similar script in a back-and-forth affair that witnessed Portland exhibit the precision that Houston lacked.

Valeri bagged his 79th goal in a Timbers shirt 15 minutes after the break when Eryk Williamson found the 2017 MLS MVP unmarked in the area for a straightforward strike.

In the end, Houston managed 24 efforts, with just four hitting the target. Tab Ramos' side slides to third in Group F on one point ahead of Saturday’s late kickoff between the Los Angeles Galaxy and Los Angeles FC.