USSF Division 2 Playoff Race: Second half of August

Rochester has a tenuous hold on first place, after taking control of the USL conference with 42 points.  The Aztex are just a point behind and have three games in hand, so don't expect this positioning to hold.  Puerto Rico has moved from ninth into a three-way tie with Minnesota and Carolina after picking up eight points in a four game home stretch.  As the season progresses, it is looking like the USL is a stronger conference with all six teams currently qualifying for the eight playoff spots.

How the race currently stands:
#1 Rochester (1st in USL, 42 points, 1.83 ppg)
#2 Vancouver (1st in NASL, 38 points, 1.65 ppg)
#3 Austin (41 points, 2.05 ppg)
#4 Portland (31 points, 1.41 ppg)
#5 (tie) Carolina (28 points, 1.40 ppg)
#5 (tie) Puerto Rico (28 points, 1.33 ppg)
#5 (tie) Minnesota (28 points, 1.17 ppg)
#8 Tampa Bay (26 points, 1.18 ppg)

No team has been eliminated from contention, so here is the rest of the field:
#9 Montreal (25 points, 1.09 ppg)
#10 Baltimore (24 points, 1.09 ppg)
#11 St. Louis (21 points, 0.95 ppg)
#12 Miami (20 points, 0.91 ppg)

Where the Timbers Stand
The Timbers still have one tough road stretch left in their schedule, and just three more games in PGE.  They moved up on Minnesota into sole possession of 4th, and it is becoming more likely that they won't miss the playoffs this season.  They are 10 points behind Austin, their toughest competition for winning the USL, and Austin has two games in hand.  If they can get a win in PGE on the 26th, it could go a long way towards catching the Aztex who have 7 out of 10 remaining matches on the road.

Portland's Remaining Games
@Minnesota (7-10-7)
Austin (12-3-5)
Baltimore (6-10-6)
Puerto Rico (7-7-7)
@Carolina (7-6-7)
@Puerto Rico (7-7-7)
@Baltimore (6-10-6)
@Vancouver (9-3-11)
(W-L-T in parentheses)

Also, check out Soccer By Ives Power Rankings from August 12th.