D.C. United Vs. Portland Timbers, 2011 MLS Week 32: Preview, TV Schedule And More

Following their stunning collapse against the Chicago Fire last week, in which they turned an 88th minute lead into a 2-1 loss, D.C. United are in a massive hole. At one point, they sat in good position for a playoff spot, with 3-4 games in hand on most of the league and a points-per-game ratio that put them securely in the playoffs. Dwayne De Rosario obliterated Real Salt Lake by himself at the end of September, and DC looked like a shoo-in for a Wild Card place. Now, nothing but two straight wins will do to close the season. They face fellow playoff contenders Portland Timbers tonight, in what is almost an elimination game.

DC United cannot make the playoffs if they don't win their next two games, while Portland can possibly qualify without winning both of their remaining matches. All of the scenarios are spelled out here, in our playoff cheat sheet. No matter what happens tonight and in their final games this Saturday, both DC and Portland will need the Philadelphia Union to take points off the New York Red Bulls to make the playoffs.

Both teams are dealing with serious injury problems, though the Black And Red could be handed a pre-game boost. Central defender Dejan Jakovic is listed as probable, and DC needs him in the lineup. Youngster Ethan White has shown potential this season, but is obviously a work in progress. Perry Kitchen is playing out of position along the back line, while Brandon McDonald does not look like a playoff-quality starting central defender at the moment. Going up against the size of Kenny Cooper and the pace of Jorge Perlaza, DCU might struggle to prevent the Timbers from scoring multiple times without Jakovic in the lineup.

Portland are without both Darlington Nagbe and Sal Zizzo, meaning they'll have to get a little creative out wide. Eric Alexander, a mid-season acquisition from FC Dallas, started on the right for Portland on September 23 against the New York Red Bulls and is the most likely fill-in option. Diego Chara and Jorge Perlaza are both listed as probable, but both are expected to start.

DC are still without Branko Boskovic and Chris Pontius with long-term injuries, and neither is expected to return even if the team makes a deep run into the playoffs. Austin da Luz has become an important role player while Andy Najar and Dwayne De Rosario are DC's best attacking threats, but the team will need more out of their forwards. Josh Wolff's work rate and fitness for a 34-year-old are absolutely exceptional, but he's only scored five goals this year. Joseph Ngwenya hasn't been much more than a backup, while Charlie Davies hasn't made a major impact in quite some time. The partnership of De Rosario and Wolff hasn't been good enough over DC's last four games, and it might be time for Ben Olsen to shake things up.