Kick Off: Timbers play for their playoff lives on NBCSN; Kinnear's Houston farewell ends in defeat

News  |  Videos  |  Schedule & Stats  |  Clubs  |  Fantasy  |  Shop Forward To A Friend Kick Off: Timbers play for their playoff lives on NBCSN; Kinnear's Houston farewell ends in defeat Here are the top 15 stories everyone's talking about this morning: 1.  CONFIDENCE IS KEY It's playoffs or bust in Portland, and the Timbers remain confident in their chances of reaching the postseason ahead of tonight's game against Real Salt Lake (10 pm ET; NBCSN in the US, MLS LIVE in Canada), especially with Rodney Wallace rounding into his 2013 form. Wallace won't have an easy time finding his way past RSL's incredibly consistent defender, Tony Beltran. 2. NGUYEN DOES IT AGAIN Forget the Knockout Round. The New England Revolution secured a top-three spot in the Eastern Conference, while simultaneously spoiling Dominic Kinnear's Houston farewell, thanks to a 2-1 victory over the Dynamo (HIGHLIGHTS) that saw Lee Nguyen come to the rescue yet again. MVLee? Perhaps the voters are beginning to take notice. 3. DOM SAYS GOODBYE Despite the defeat, Dynamo fans let Dominic Kinnear, who is headed to San Jose next season, know just how much they appreciated all he's done for the club. Kinnear and some of his players reflected on the past nine years, and the two-time MLS Cup winner left on a note nobody will soon forget. 4. SEEKING SYNERGY The Montreal Impact can end Canadian rivals Toronto FC's slim playoff hopes with just a draw when the two play on Saturday (2 pm ET, UDN). Meanwhile, Impact owner Joey Saputo says he expects synergy between the Quebec side and his new Italian club Bologna, a task that begins with the addition of Marco Di Vaio as an assistant technical director in Italy. 5. FIGHTING FOR THIRD FC Dallas hope three points against the Colorado Rapids this Saturday (3 pm ET; NBCSN in the US, MLS LIVE in Canada) can help them avoid the Knockout Round. Meanwhile, the Rapids' chances of ending their miserable run of form aren't getting any better, as Colorado's injury problems continue to mount. 6. HAS CURTIN SECURED THE JOB? It seems the Union may be planning to stick with Jim Curtin as head coach, but Philly's interim boss will certainly be looking for a better display from his side when they take on Sporting Kansas City on Saturday night (7 pm ET, MLS LIVE). For their part, the champions are beginning to lay claim to the title of the nation's soccer capital as they continue to receive interest in young defender Erik Palmer-Brown. 7. THINGS TO DO IN D.C. D.C. United need just one point from their remaining two games to secure first place in the Eastern Conference, but the club still has a to-do list as the playoffs approach. The Chicago Fire are the opponents on Saturday (7 pm ET, MLS LIVE), and it seems the Windy City outfit could be looking at another young English player for next season. 8. VANCOUVER ON GUARD Despite the San Jose Earthquakes' recent struggles, the Vancouver Whitecaps won't be taking anything for granted when the two meet this Saturday (10:30 pm ET; TSN in Canada, MLS LIVE in the US). The Quakes will be led by assistant coach Ian Russell for the final two games following Mark Watson's dismissal. Can Russell help loosen the 'Caps' hold on the final playoff spot out West? 9. LOOKING TO THE FUTURE The New York Red Bulls take on the Columbus Crew on Sunday (3 pm ET, UniMas), with both teams showing their commitment to the future of their franchises. The Red Bulls announced plans to expand their training facilities, while the Crew are fresh from signing 17-year-old Ben Swanson to a Homegrown player contract. Turning to the game itself, Red Bulls head coach Mike Petke previews what could be an early peek at the Eastern Conference Knockout Round match on ExtraTime Radio. 10. THE DECIDER? The final game of the weekend is arguably also the biggest, as the LA Galaxy and the Seattle Sounders face off in a potential Supporters' Shield decider (8 pm ET,  ESPN2). The game marks Landon Donovan's final regular-season home game and he'll expect to win it: The Galaxy haven't lost at home to the Seattle Sounders in five years. As for the Sounders, while DeAndre Yedlin has just returned from national team camp, questions remain over when the youngster will depart for his new club in London. 11. BREAKING GROUND Work has officially begun on Orlando City SC's new home following a groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday evening that included a march to the venue, a high school band and 24 tons of purple sand. It was a night head coach Adrian Heath described as "another step nearer to the dream that we had." 12. ANTICIPATED RETURN Despite a number of mixed statements recently, Frank Lampard insists he will be with New York City FC in time for the start of preseason training, and it looks like NYCFC's midfield could get even more potent, as reports suggest the new MLS club hasn't given up hope of signing Xavi Hernandez just yet. 13. FIRM AFFILIATES? Sacramento Republic FC had two MLS affiliates this season, but will the USL PRO champions have even one next year? With the Portland Timbers starting their own USL PRO side, they will no longer serve as a partner and, so far, the San Jose Earthquakes are yet to sign an extension with the lower division club. However, this season's link has certainly benefited Timbers 'keeper Jake Gleeson. 14. WISE HERCULEZ Herculez Gomez is back to scoring goals in Mexico and dropping knowledge in the media. Though his playing future is a bit up in the air, Gomez says he's already eyeing a future after soccer. Well, off the field at least, as Las Vegas' MLS bid attempts to gain traction. 15. VEGAS DREAMS As the group behind Las Vegas' attempt to secure an MLS franchise continues its quest to gather the necessary funding for a potential stadium, the city council has made a suggestion to help the project become a reality. MLSsoccer.com Musts MLS Insider: Cold Blooded-The legacy of Nick Rimando MLS on Campus: USL PRO fills the 18-22 gap, here are the homegrowns who'll benefit ExtraTime Radio: Red Bulls in the playoffs but Petke knows plenty still at steak