HOUSTON (AP) - Jeff Attinella posted his 10th career shutout in his first playoff game to help the Portland Timbers to a 0-0 draw with the Houston Dynamo on Monday in the opener of their Western Conference semifinal.
The second leg of the two-game aggregate series is Sunday in Portland. The fourth-seeded Dynamo had just one road win in the regular season.
Attinella’s two saves included a sliding 1-on-1 save against Alberth Elis in the 51st minute and a leaping stop of a header by Philippe Senderos in the 56th.
Houston is unbeaten in its last eight matches, including a 1-0 win over Sporting Kansas City in Thursday’s single-elimination knockout round.
The Dynamo were awarded a penalty kick in the 30th minute after Larryss Mabiala’s sliding tackle of Elis at the corner of the box, but the call was overturned after a replay review.
Mabiala, a defender, as well as midfielders Darlington Nagbe and Diego Chara - who was taken off on a stretcher - did not return for Portland after injuries midway through the game.
The top-seeded Timbers were already without Fanendo Adi, Sebastian Blanco and David Guzman. Adi was second on the team with 10 goals despite missing the final 10 regular-season games after he injured a hamstring during a 3-1 win over Los Angeles on Aug. 6.
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