2012 MLS Standings: Houston Dynamo Sitting At Third In Eastern Conference

Following a 2-2 draw with the Columbus Crew, the Houston Dynamo held their ground in the Eastern Conference standings, staying in third place. The Dynamo will need to be alert though, as a few teams are starting to heat up behind them.

Houston's 41 points are good enough for third in the East but the Chicago Fire are level with them in points and have a game in hand. Houston does hold the top two tiebreakers -- goals scored, goal differential -- over Chicago should the standings end up with them tied. The Fire are also burning up the standings lately, with their latest result an impressive 2-1 home win over the New England Revolution.

Ahead of the Dynamo, the race is very tight -- Houston are currently only three points behind the New York Red Bulls and five points behind Sporting Kansas City. The race is likely to stay just as wide open until the season's end, when the Dynamo will have a shot to push their way to a second straight MLS Cup Final.

The full Eastern Conference table and a special table for the Supporter's Shield race can be found at MLSSoccer.com.

For more news and analysis on the Houston Dynamo as the playoff race in Major League Soccer starts to heat up, head over to Dynamo Theory. More on the wide world of soccer in general can be found over at SB Nation's Soccer hub.