Each Major League Soccer matchday in 2021, the KeyBank Scouting Report will give you a snapshot of the Portland Timbers’ next opponent. On Wednesday, the Timbers travel to Texas to take on the Houston Dynamo at BBVA Stadium with a 5:30pm PT kickoff on ROOT SPORTS.
Team Form
Through nine games played, Houston has a record of 3W-3D-3L – even on points with Portland and Real Salt Lake at 12 – and sit in seventh place based on points-per-game.
Head coach Tab Ramos' Dynamo men have won one game in their last four (1-1-2), most recently drawing 1-1 with LAFC last Saturday.
Portland defeated Houston 2-1 at Providence Park on April 24 with Dairon Asprilla and Cristian Paredes scoring for the Timbers in their 2021 home opener.
Fun Note: Ramos is a former teammate of Portland head coach Giovanni Savarese when the two starred with the New York/New Jersey MetroStars circa 1996-1998.
Dynamo forward Maxi Urruti (USA Today Sports Images)
In attack
The Dynamo forward line is led by a figure well known to Timbers fans: Striker Maximiliano Urruti. In his first season in Houston, Urruti currently leads the team with five goals – nearly half of the team's 12 goals scored. Also of note is midfielder Fafà Picault, who arrived from rival FC Dallas in an offseason trade and has a goal and team-leading three assists for Houston. Midfielder and Dynamo Academy alum Memo Rodriguez has two goals and two assists in 2021.
The team's lone Designated Player is forward Darwin Quintero who, while currently goalless in 2021, is a dangerous attacker with 28 goals in 83 career MLS games to his name.
Familiar Faces
There are two players on the Houston roster that are very familiar to Portland supporters. The aforementioned Urruti played a little over two seasons with Timbers (2013-2015) and was part of the club's first-ever MLS Cup win in 2015. The Argentine native scored 16 goals across MLS regular-season and playoff play while with the Timbers. Perhaps none of those goals are more famous than the overtime, game-tying goal against Sporting Kansas City that forced the match into penalties in the infamous 2015 "double post" playoff showdown.
Houston defender Zarek Valentin was part of Portland's 2018 MLS Western Conference Champions and started that year's MLS Cup final in Atlanta. Valentin appeared in 92 games with the Green-and-Gold between 2016 and 2019 – the most appearances with one team in his now 10-year career. A favorite in the community, Valentin was a two-time Stand Together Community MVP (2016, 2018) while with Portland.
Houston defender Zarek Valentin (USA Today Sports Images)
Defending
Along with Valentin, the Houston backline is led by former Vancouver and Red Bulls center back Tim Parker. Parker has started and played every minute of the Dynamo's nine games this year.
Manning the nets is goalkeeper Marko Mariç who has one clean sheet in nine matches.
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