D.C. United-Timbers Preview

D.C. United still sits atop the MLS standings even though it's gone without a victory in its last two matches.

The club will try to maintain its position despite an injury-riddled roster when it visits the Portland Timbers on Wednesday night.

D.C. (6-2-4) has allowed 10 goals, tied for the fewest in the Eastern Conference, but its 12 shots over the last two matches is its lowest total in a two-game span this season.

United finished first in the East in 2014 after missing the playoffs in five of the previous six years.

"What's made us good, is that we do all the little things right," coach Ben Olsen said. "At times we'll get away from that for a half or so - that's not good enough anymore, when you're sitting at the top. You're gonna get the best from everybody."

D.C. played to a 1-all draw at second-place New England on Saturday, pulling even on Jairo Arrieta's 80th-minute goal. The Revolution went down to nine men in the 58th minute.

"1-0 down at half, I'll take the tie," Olsen said. "But 1-1, up two men? It'd be nice to get out of here with a win.

"We did an OK job at times to break them down but certainly if I'd known that we'd be up two men I'd have worked on 10 v 8s this week," he joked. "It's a tough thing to prepare for."

The result came without Nick DeLeon, Fabian Espindola and Luis Silva, who are injured. Espindola and Silva tied for the team lead in 2014 with 11 goals, while DeLeon's six assists tied for second.

Michael Farfan, who filled in for DeLeon, also left with a hamstring injury.

None of those players are expected to return until at least Saturday's match against Philadelphia. Arrieta figures to start after coming on for Farfan against New England.

Portland (3-5-4) returns from a 1-2-0 trip, having dropped the last two matches after a 1-0 defeat to Toronto on Saturday in which it gave up a fifth-minute goal. The Timbers surrendered the first goal in the ninth minute in a 3-1 loss at Houston a week earlier.

"I thought the second half was very good," coach Caleb Porter said. "That's what we're going to build on. Last two games we've given up a goal early ... that can't happen."

Portland hasn't lost three straight since a five-game skid July 7-28, 2012.

Porter could also be without one of his top players after Diego Valeri left with an apparent ankle injury in the first half. Valeri had 11 goals and 14 assists last season and has one of each this year.

Gaston Fernandez, who replaced Valeri, scored seven goals in 32 matches in 2014, including one in a 3-2 home victory over D.C. last May 3 - the Timbers' second straight win in the series.

Portland is 1-1-3 at home, getting shut out three times after being blanked twice there all of last season.