""You are going to see teams gambling to win, taking risks to win. They are going to be open games," Neville said. "There are going to be lots on transition goals, and I think that is what we will see in the last five games for us. "I think we have managed these players really well. I think they are going into these games full of energy and I think at this stage of the season, fatigue goes out the window."
"Houston are one of those teams looking to sneak into the playoff places in the West. The Dynamo are currently 12th in the division but are just two points behind ninth-placed San Jose Earthquakes, who occupy the final playoff spot. They suffered a late defeat to the Colorado Rapids in their last match as Felipe Andrade scored a 96th-minute own goal, two minutes before Artur was also sent off."
Portland Timbers sit sixth in the Western Conference with five regular-season games remaining and travel to Houston this weekend. The Timbers ended a four-game winless run with a 2-1 victory over the New York Red Bulls, with Matias Rojas and Antony scoring. Phil Neville expects open, end-to-end matches as teams gamble to reach the playoffs and predicts many transition goals. Neville says players have been managed well and are energetic, and that fatigue becomes secondary when everything is on the line. Houston sit 12th but are two points behind the final playoff spot after a late defeat to Colorado.
Read at Soccer News
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