PORTLAND, Ore. – There’s still an “8” next to Portland Timbers.
Go to the standings page, and you’ll see it. Only the top seven teams in each conference make the postseason, and although the Timbers briefly poked their head above the playoff line on Sunday, a result later in the day pushed them back under water. Yes, Portland still has a game in hand on FC Dallas, one of the teams they’re battling for the West’s last playoff spots, but given the Timbers' recent form, games in hand don’t necessarily mean points in the standings.