After a one-month break from the regular season to participate in Leagues Cup, the Portland Timbers resume MLS action this Sunday with a trip to the Lone Star State to face Houston Dynamo.
Currently in 12th place in the Western Conference, the Timbers are just three points adrift of ninth-place Houston and the final playoff spot.
Houston Dynamo come into this game off the back of getting knocked out of the Leagues Cup courtesy of a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Charlotte FC in the Round of 16. Their opening game ended in a shootout loss to Orlando City, before they beat Santos Laguna and Pachuca on penalties.
Portland Timbers have not exactly been pulling up any trees in the Leagues Cup either. They kicked off with a 2-0 win over San Jose Earthquakes before they lost the second game against Mexican giants Tigres (2-1). They were then dumped out of the competition in the Round of 32 stage by Monterrey, who came out on top with a 1-0 victory.
Here GOAL brings you everything you need to know about how to watch, including TV channel, streaming details and more.
Houston vs Portland kick-off time
| Date: | August 20, 2023 |
| Kick-off time: | 8:30 pm ET/ 5:30 PT |
| Venue: | Shell Energy Stadium |
Houston will face Portland in MLS action at Shell Energy Stadium on Sunday. Kick off is scheduled for 8:30 pm Eastern Time (ET)/ 5:30 pm Pacific Time (PT).
How to watch Houston vs Portland online - TV channels & live streams
 | Apple TV | Watch here |
The game will be broadcast on Apple TV in the United States. An MLS Season Pass subscription is required in order to watch.
Team news & squads
Houston team news
Houston Dynamo will be without the services of Ifunanyachi Achara (knee), Teenage Hadebe (leg), Tate Schmitt (knee) and Andrew Tarbell (concussion protocol) for the visit of Portland Timbers due to respective injury problems. Left-back Schmitt, for one, has been confirmed to miss the rest of the season following his ACL surgery.
Amine Bassi has been Houston's star performer this season with 10 goals to his name from 26 outings across all competitions. The 25-year-old should resume his attacking midfield role just behind striker Ibrahim Aliyu in the final third.
New attacking reinforcement Sebastian Kowalczyk, who scored six goals and provided six assists from 34 league games for Pogon Szczecin in the Polish top-flight last season, is in contention to make his MLS debut here.
Houston Dynamo possible XI:Clark; Escobar, Sviatchenko, Micael, Steres; Artur, Herrera, Franco; Quinones, Bassi; Aliyu
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers: | Clark, Nelson, Valdez |
| Defenders: | Hadebe, Escobar, Steres, Dorsey, Bartlow, Murana, Sviatchenko, Micael |
| Midfielders: | Herrera, Bassi, Carrasquilla, Franco, Castilla, Artur, Caicedo, Baird, Auguste, Quinones, Kowalczyk |
| Forwards: | Ferreira, Ulfarsson, Aliyu |
Portland team news
The Timbers will be without long-term absentees David Ayala (left knee), and Eryk Williamson (right knee), both ruled out for the season. Santiago Moreno injured his right ankle in training, so could not make the trip to Houston, while Zac McGraw is suffering from an undisclosed illness.
McGraw's absence could hand a chance for Miguel Araujo to make his first start for Portland at center back after playing just eight minutes as a substitute during Leagues Cup.
The visitors have recently welcomed former Colorado Rapids midfielder Bryan Acosta as their newest trade acquisition, and he will jump into a key role right away in defensive midfield alongside Cristhian Paredes, as club legend Diego Chara is suspended for Sunday’s match due to yellow card accumulation.
Portland Timbers possible XI: Bingham; Mosquera, Araujo, Zuparic, Bravo; Chara, Paredes, Asprilla, Loria, Evander; Boli
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers: | Sulte, Ivacic, Bingham |
| Defenders: | Bravo, Mosquera, Bonila, Zuparic, McGraw, Mabiala, Miller, Rasmussen, Araujo |
| Midfielders: | Moreno, Asparilla, Blanco, D. Chara, Fogaca, Evander, Paredes, Caliskan |
| Forwards: | Niezgoda, Boli, Mora, Y. Chara, Loria |
Head-to-Head Record
| Date | Match | Competition |
|---|---|---|
| 30/6/22 | Portland Timbers 2-1 Houston Dynamo | MLS |
| 16/4/22 | Houston Dynamo 0-0 Portland Timbers | MLS |
| 4/9/21 | Houston Dynamo 0-2 Portland Timbers | MLS |
| 24/6/21 | Houston Dynamo 2-2 Portland Timbers | MLS |
| 25/4/21 | Portland Timbers 2-1 Houston Dynamo | MLS |