Portland Timbers-FC Cincinnati Preview (8/16)

Prior to *certain offseason developments*, there were a couple of home games that were circled on Portland’s schedule. Aside from the obvious ones like Vancouver, Seattle, LAFC, and the Galaxy, theme nights were announced due to the club’s 50th anniversary. Two of these have come and gone in recent weeks: MLS Cup anniversary against RSL and the big 50th anniversary against Minnesota. However, the most anticipated theme night has finally arrived. The first 20,000 fans to enter Providence Park on Saturday will get a Diego Chara bobblehead. However, because the Portland Timbers often find themselves in the middle of the metaphorical storm of controversy and drama, Chara’s bobblehead isn’t the only storyline for tomorrow’s gargantuan clash with FC Cincinnati.

The Cincinnati Report

These two teams last played in 2023. Parley kits were worn, the Timbers put up a good fight, but Cincinnati triumphed at TQL Stadium by a score of 2-1. That game ended up being another scalp that the Garys claimed on their way to the Supporters’ Shield. Congratulations to them, in all seriousness. After taking a few years to find their footing in MLS (and collecting three Wooden Spoons along the way) Cincinnati’s turnaround from doormat to model club is one of the best stories in MLS history. However, as the Garys prepare for their first-ever trip to Providence Park, the team that beat Portland on that April night in 2023 looks entirely unrecognizable.

2023’s Shield winners enjoyed the presence of the league MVP: Luciano Acosta. A striker tandem of Brandon Vazquez and Brenner (who got sold to Udinese in the summer and was replaced by Aaron Boupendza (RIP)), left wingback Alvaro Barreal, and midfielder Obinna Nwobodo sat in front of an excellent backline headlined by Matt Miazga, Nick Hagglund, and Wolverhampton (EWWWW) loanee Yerson Mosquera. This outstanding Cincinnati team was bounced from the playoffs in the Eastern Conference Final by arch-rival Columbus. Because Cincinnati was so new to success, they were unaware that you cannot win the Shield and the Cup in the same season (unless you have Gareth Bale available to save you in stoppage time of MLS Cup). With their naivete exposed by their biggest rivals (which is always funny), Cincinnati entered 2024 with one goal: get to the promised land.

Acosta returned to help them on that quest, and (technically) had a better season than his MVP campaign the previous year. Nwobodo, Miazga, Hagglund, and Boupendza were also back. But other core pieces were gone. Vazquez was sold to Monterrey, Barreal had a messy exit to Cruzeiro, and Mosquera went back to the Dingles after his loan spell ended. However, Chris Albright and Pat Noonan continued to recruit, and brought Luca Orellano, Pavel Bucha, and Miles Robinson to the club. Before the winter window closed, Shaktar striker Kevin Kelsy arrived on loan to replace Vazquez. 

2024 was still a good year for Cincy; finishing 3rd in the Eastern Conference and primed for another deep playoff run. But a rash of injuries (most notably to Miazga) lowered their ceiling, and they crashed out in the first round of the playoffs after losing to NYCFC on penalties in the 3rd game of the first round. Two things immediately followed this playoff disappointment. Kevin Denkey was signed ONE DAY after that elimination for a MLS record (since broken) transfer fee of $17.8M. But Acosta, the club’s best player and the biggest contributor to the rise from Mudville, immediately began hinting about his future belonging elsewhere. This was a surprising admission from an outside perspective, and what happened next will go down in MLS history. The winter of dominoes began. 

The non-Acosta dominoes fell first. Chidoze Awaziem and Ian Murphy were traded to Colorado (in one transaction, mind you). Kelsy returned to his parent club, while Orellano’s purchase option was triggered. Chris Albright continued his excellent roster-building work by acquiring Lukas Engel and Gilberto Flores to beef up the defense. Brian Anunga arrived from free agency to help the midfield. But the biggest moves were yet to come, and they were aided by the biggest rule change since the U22 Initiative was introduced in 2021: the cashfer market.

Acosta desperately wanted to go to South America, but no South American teams were willing to bid for him. Oddly enough, that same situation was occurring with another disgruntled star in the Pacific Northwest. Both players needed to get a move, but Acosta’s domino had to fall first. FC Dallas obliged, and purchased the former MVP for $6M. Cincinnati acted quickly and signed Evander for $12M minutes later. And right after that, David Da Costa became a Portland Timber.

Surprise! Evander continued to be Evander as Cincinnati (15-4-7, 49 points, 2E/3S) continued to be among the league’s elite. However, Cincinnati’s excellent record has been dubbed “fraudulent” based on the Underlying Numbers. Per American Soccer Analysis, Cincinnati is overperforming their Expected Points total by 15. That’s the biggest overachievement in the league, with the Timbers coming in second with an overperformance of 10. Once again, underlying numbers cannot account for Evander’s unbelievable ability with the ball at his feet, particularly when it comes to shooting from outside the box. The Brazilian MVP candidate has 15 goals in 24 MLS games, and EIGHT of those strikes have come from outside the box. As a result, he’s vastly overperforming his xG. This is not fraudulent; it’s just the mark of a good player. 

Kevin Denkey is also a good player, and is Cincy’s second-top scorer with 12 goals. Orellano only has 2g/5a, but recently returned to his home at left wingback instead of being cast as a striker. Center back injuries have continued to plague the Garys, but Miazga’s return has stabilized the line in front of Roman Celentano. Cincy’s fourth-year goalkeeper is having the best season of his career, which also factors into the overperformance. Bucha is one of their most important players due to his ball progression from the midfield. Phil Neville described Pat Noonan as “the best coach in the league” and his system is tried-and-true for regular season success, particularly on the road. No team has won more road games than Cincinnati since Noonan took over in 2022. Their rise from the basement to juggernaut has been wildly impressive. But they haven’t come to Providence Park yet.

FCC Injury Report & Projected Starting XI

This is a pretty lengthy injury list for the visitors. Nwobodo and Kubo have been out for a while. Orellano played 45 minutes last weekend, so his inclusion is a bit of a surprise. Santos hasn’t played since the first game of Leagues Cup. To top it off, Anunga is serving a red card suspension after a pretty stupid tackle last weekend against Charlotte. 

I’m pretty confident in this projection. Orellano’s absence forces Engel to move to LWB with Gilberto Flores taking the Danishman’s spot in the back three. However, Noonan could start young winger Ender Echenique in Orellano’s position. I don’t think it gives Cincy much defensively, but the speedy Venezuelan could be an asset in the attack. Jimenez takes Anunga’s spot in the midfield, and he was pretty impressive against Juarez in Leagues Cup. Denkey hasn’t started a game since July 12th due to a leg injury, and he made his first substitute appearance last weekend since suffering said injury. I don’t think there’s a world in which he starts on the bench tomorrow. I’ve chosen Kamara as Denkey’s partner, but it could be young attacker Gerardo Valenzuela who gets the call for this game. Albright has built a very strong roster, while Noonan has molded it into a plug-and-play system. 

The Timbers Report

After another loss in Dallas, the Timbers (10-7-8, 37 points, 6W/14S) are back at home this weekend. But before they can take the field on Saturday, the chaos of the past two weeks needs a resolution.

The Final Coward Update

Santiago Moreno got the move that he desired, and the Portland Timbers received the fee that they wanted. I’ve already gone into depth about this, but there’s one more aspect of the deal that needs another look. 

This deal was made possible by an agreement between Fluminense and America de Cali. Moreno’s initial transfer to Portland from AdC came with a 20% sell-on clause. The two South American clubs agreed to lower the amount of money being returned to AdC, so the Timbers banked approximately $5M from the transfer. This is pretty good! Moreno was unable to make his debut in Fluminense’s next match (oddly enough, a Copa Sudamericana tie AT America de Cali), but will probably be in the team for the second leg. I’m sure several of y’all are keeping an eye on his progress with his new club with no nefarious purposes behind it.

The New Players

The signings of Kristoffer Velde and Felipe Carballo were announced this week, with both players meeting the Portland media for the first time on Thursday. Velde talked about how he likes to play (classic winger things like taking on defenders and shooting from outside the box), his favorite activities off the pitch (a joking answer about spending time at the local watering hole), and his lack of illusion about his role in the team (“I’m here to help us win and score goals”). Carballo talked about David Ayala (“I think he’s complimentary to how I play”), how his experience with arriving midseason in New York last year will help him adapt this year, and his off-field intentions (“Every place I go, I try to be a part of the community”). 

The roster-building aspect of these signings is also intriguing. Velde is the Jonathan Rodriguez replacement from a roster status standpoint; occupying the DP slot vacated by the Uruguayan’s move to the season-ending injury list. That’s simple. But Moreno’s sale allowed a question to be raised: will this impact Carballo’s roster designation?

Due to Moreno’s departure, the Timbers could switch to the 3/3 roster model and make Carballo a Designated Player. This is what the Red Bulls did last year, but they already had an open DP slot entering the summer window. The Timbers decided to do the same, and now Carballo is their 3rd DP while he’s on loan for the rest of the season. Portland enters the rest of the season like this: DPs Da Costa, Velde, and Carballo with U22s Antony, Kelsy, and Ayala. That’s a really good core, but there’s one more exciting aspect to this roster model switch: more available cap space.

Another One? Possibly A Second? And Some Cap Math?

Designated Players carry a fixed cap hit of $743,750. Last year, Felipe Mora was listed as a DP for the first half of the season so the Timbers didn’t need to spend additional GAM and TAM to lessen his cap hit despite the Chilean’s salary not reaching the max-TAM line. But Mora’s stint as a DP in 2024 was due to Portland’s bloated salary cap. Going to the 2/4 model last summer provided the team with a much-needed injection of GAM. This worked, and the Timbers kept the same model for the first half of 2025. They added Kevin Kelsy to fill the open U22 slot and picked up another $1M GAM (in addition to $1.5M GAM from the Evander sale). 

Here’s how this roster was put together as of May 1st. Araujo couldn’t be registered due to Portland’s limits on Senior Roster slots. The Timbers had 21 players to fill 20 slots, so Araujo was the odd man out. In addition, he failed to get his Green Card. That’s not a personal failure by any means. But it meant that Araujo’s departure opened up an International Slot but did not open a Senior Roster Slot. Rodriguez’s SEI opened up a DP slot. Bravo’s sale opened up another Senior Roster Slot. 

Before I get to what that meant for the summer window, Portland’s cap situation needs to be addressed. This requires a lot of estimation and guesswork, and each player’s exact cap hit is unknown. Who cares, I’m doing it anyway. Two of Portland’s incoming players didn’t require any cap hit math (Da Costa at $743,750 and Kelsy at $150K (next year, Kelsy’s cap hit will increase to $200K in his age-21 season)). Neither did Ian Smith, whose first-team contract is a Reserve Minimum deal that doesn’t hit the cap at all. That leaves the two other foreign arrivals: Jimer Fory and Joao Ortiz.

Let’s begin with a quick refresher about how salary cap hits are calculated. For non-fixed acquisitions that require a transfer fee (non-DPs, non-U22s, non-Senior Minimums (this will become important later) and non-Reserve Minimums), the cost of the transfer fee is amortized over the length of the initial contract signed by the player when arriving at the club. 

For example, Juan Mosquera is currently a TAM player. He was signed for about $2M in 2022 as a U22 (NON-FIXED ACQUISITION STATUS) with a contract lasting until 2026. However, at the start of 2024, Mosquera signed an extension through 2027. With this new contract, the Timbers decided to remove Mosquera from U22 status (the other contributing factor was Ayala coming off the SEI tag). All of a sudden, the $2M transfer fee was factored into the salary cap. A $2M fee amortized over 4 years equals an additional cap hit of $500K per year on top of Mosquera’s $345K salary. With a cap hit now consisting of $845K, Mosquera became a TAM player due to his total cap hit rising above the senior max. 

With that context in mind, Fory and Ortiz’s cap hits can now be estimated. Let’s begin with Fory because his contract requires the same method of calculation as his best friend’s (bros on the pitch, off the pitch, and on the spreadsheet; that brings a smile to my face). Fory’s transfer fee was $1.7M and he signed a contract until 2028. That’s an additional cap hit of $425K per year added to his base salary of $335K. As a result, Fory is barely a TAM player. So it makes sense to use TAM to buy down his contract and keep him as a TAM player for Portland’s 2025 salary cap. 

Ortiz is not listed as a TAM player despite initial reports claiming that he would be. Time to run the “cap hit formula” on the Ecuadorian. $1.75M transfer fee, contract until 2027, $583,333 additional cap hit. The additional cap hit plus his $475K salary equals a massive initial cap hit of $1,058,333. That is the second-highest non-fixed cap hit on the team behind Felipe Mora. So when the Timbers acquired $1M GAM from the 2/4 roster model AND $1.5M GAM from the Evander sale, it became pretty obvious to use it on Ortiz and save TAM. Therefore, Joao Ortiz is not a TAM player. But that doesn’t account for the entire GAM influx from the winter (I’m ignoring Portland’s International Slot dealings because they do not factor into the cap math as much as one might think).

Kamal Miller was a TAM player in 2024, but some of the incoming 2025 GAM was used to buy him down as well. Portland shelled out $200K in GAM to acquire Omir Fernandez (who already had a manageable cap hit because Colorado spent a fair amount to buy him down when the season started). The Timbers went to work with the rest of their GAM to buy down other high salaries like Cristhian Paredes and Maxime Crepeau. So when Ned Grabavoy addressed a group of reporters at the end of April and spoke about the team’s roster flexibility, he was mostly referring to Portland’s unused TAM. Initially, that TAM was earmarked for Carballo. But Moreno’s sale is once again proving to be a blessing in disguise because it allowed Carballo to be listed as a DP for this season. With two TAM salaries in Araujo and Bravo off the books and Moreno’s $200K cap hit erased, Portland suddenly had room to acquire a TAM player with Moreno’s vacant Senior Roster Slot. Enter River Plate’s Matias Rojas.

No, we’re not starting with a FBRef chart. We’re taking a look at his Inter Miami goal catalogue.

Do you see the vision? The lone connecting thread between Velde, Carballo, and Rojas? All three of these players are unafraid to shoot the ball, especially from outside the box. Contrary to what some pundits/analysts would have you believe, this is actually a good thing (no further tirade on this topic (despite my own immaculate instincts telling me to do so); I will not be rage-baited by people who don’t actually watch this team). But Rojas adds another dimension to the Timbers that has been lacking since Evander departed: dead balls. The Paraguayan is an elite set piece taker. Corner kicks and wide free kicks are areas where the Timbers have to be better. Rojas’ deliveries will be key for that area of the game. In addition to that, he’s a weapon on direct free kicks. He’s another smart addition to the Timbers. But in order for that to happen, the Timbers have to acquire him first.

This is where the extra TAM comes into play. Per reports, Rojas will terminate his contract with River Plate and sign a deal until the end of 2025 (with an option for 2026) with the Timbers. The much-traveled Paraguayan would basically be a rental with an option for next year. Putting the extra TAM (he will absolutely be a TAM player in Portland despite taking a tiny salary last year in Miami) to use by signing another quality attacking option is outstanding work by Portland’s front office. But would you like another reason to be excited in addition to Rojas?

None of what I’m about to say is official or even rumored. But I’m in a great mood after doing all that math and I’d like to think that this thought has crossed Ned Grabavoy’s mind. So here we go.

Gage Guerra has since been added to Portland’s supplemental roster. But how are these players categorized in the specific terms of the roster rules?

Ian Smith and Guerra are Portland’s only two players occupying a “25-30” slot on the roster. Hunter Sulte doesn’t count because he’s on loan and doesn’t factor into this equation. James Pantemis, Eric Miller, and Trey Muse occupy “21-24” slots. By these calculations, there is an open “21-24” slot available. And, lo and behold, suddenly there’s a player available to fill that open “21-24” slot.

Be honest: you’re smiling and nodding right now. Urruti would be the ultimate rental with a contract that expires at the end of 2025 with an option for 2026. Per MLS’ waiver rules, a team that claims a waived player has to fit them into their roster with the same contract that they had with their previous team. Maxi Urruti is on a Senior Minimum Salary contract. His cap hit is nonexistent. The Portland Timbers have one remaining roster slot that can be used for his exact contract. It’s almost too perfect.

However, this is very mean to Guerra. But I’d like to offer two quick corollaries to Guerra’s hurt feelings (they will not make him feel better at all). Corollary number 1: Guerra hasn’t played a single MLS minute as a striker since signing his first-team deal. Corollary number 2: the Timbers’ summer window has been about adding veteran talent to a young team. In Portland’s 50th anniversary season, bringing back a proven MLS vet who lifted the Cup in Green-and-Gold and would provide an excellent presence in the locker room seems like a no-brainer. It’s also worth noting that Urruti’s top trait (his work rate) hasn’t been diminished in the slightest. This is absolutely a case of emotion trumping reason. I have no problem admitting that. But it’s a completely risk-free option that can only have a positive benefit in the short-term. As the Timbers gear up for another playoff run with a brutal schedule, they have to put some feelers out. 

Interestingly, on Friday morning, the Timbers acquired another international slot from San Diego for $200K GAM. This intrigues me for a few reasons. Let’s begin with what they’ve done so far in the international slot market.

Araujo’s departure opened up one International Slot prior to the start of the summer transfer window. On July 24, they sent $135K GAM to Inter Miami for another international slot. Now they have two. Then, on August 7th, they got a third from Toronto for $175K GAM. That’s three international slots for Velde, Carballo, and Rojas. With all of the background info listed above taken into account, it’s pretty clear that the Timbers don’t have any space for another signing for their Senior Roster. So why did this trade occur?

Let’s get the nonsensical theory out of the way first. No, Ned Grabavoy didn’t drop $200K in Garberbux to try and hold an international slot for ransom and force a team to pay even more Garberbux to get it. That’s ludicrous (but if I was a GM, I’d do this for fun if I could find a slot for $50K GAM). The cost of this slot is also eyebrow-raising. San Diego isn’t starved for GAM. So this strikes me as a move that a team desperate for an international slot would undertake. Why would they be fiending for another international slot with a (presumably, Rojas isn’t official yet) full Senior Roster? 

There’s only one scenario that makes sense: a player departure is imminent. Signing a new player to replace an outgoing player looks like the answer. Which player could be leaving? My gut instinct says Paredes, Zuparic, or Mora, but it could be anyone aside from the obvious. Two signings are confirmed, one is on the way, and the Timbers acquired another seemingly superfluous international slot. The window closes on Thursday. They aren’t done yet. 

Three Questions With Kevin Kelsy

Storylines abound for tomorrow’s game, but I’d like to touch on one that’s gone under-the-radar. Kevin Kelsy spent last season on loan with Cincinnati, and he’ll be in the matchday squad to face his former team tomorrow. I caught up with him after training on Thursday for this week’s edition of “Three Questions.”

Q: How are you feeling ahead of facing your former team?

A: I’m happy to get to face them again. They’re a great institution. They gave me an opportunity when I was going through a tough time and on the first day they were great to me. I will defend the Timbers’ colors on Saturday so it will be a good game and it’s important to us to keep growing as a team.

Q: How were you feeling during the recent road trip and how did it affect your play on the field?

A: Scoring goals is important. I think, as a forward, I have to accept that sometimes there will be games where opportunities don’t come for me. So I have to find other ways that I can help, be it defensively or pulling a defender my way and away from anyone else who is attacking. I’m flexible. I try to adjust to what the game and the team needs.

Q: You often wear a windbreaker on hot days and sleeveless tops on cold days during training. Why do you do this?

A: When it’s hot, I choose to wear the long sleeves to sweat more, stay fit, and keep myself out of the sun to avoid sunburns. When it’s cool, I wear short sleeves to let my body heat up and feel that coolness and be able to acclimate to it.

PTFC Injury Report & Projected Starting XI

This is very cool to see. The only question marks revolve around Velde and Carballo, who are still awaiting their visas. That might not be resolved until tomorrow. The team desperately wants both players to be available for this game, but nothing can be done until the paperwork is complete.

Even if Velde and Carballo are cleared to play tomorrow, I doubt that either of them would start. Maybe Neville is thinking otherwise, but I’m thinking about stability and what has been working over the past couple of weeks. Maxime Crepeau is the team’s big-game goalkeeper. Tomorrow is a big game, so he gets a chance to atone for last weekend’s mistake in Frisco. Fory, Miller, and Surman provide more of that aforementioned stability in front of the keeper. Diego Chara has to start tomorrow’s game because it’s his bobblehead night. The rest of the team picks itself. Meanwhile, Neville is no stranger to changing shapes during games. It’s entirely possible that the Timbers start tomorrow in this formation but shift to the 4-2-3-1 in the second half. Of course, there’s also the possibility that Neville decides to go back to the 4-2-3-1 from the opening whistle. If that is his plan, I’d expect Ariel Lassiter to be the new starter on the left wing and replace Smith while Fory moves to left back. 

Tactical Preview

Bother Him

If you haven’t heard already, Cincinnati has a MVP candidate named Evander and he used to be a Portland Timber. I’m sure that the coaching staff knows exactly how to erase him from a game, but I’m not going to discuss anything “tactical” in this section. After defeating Atletico de San Luis 4-0 in Leagues Cup, Phil Neville had an interesting quote: “We’re learning the dark arts of football while we’re playing.”

Time to put those dark arts to full use. Evander is one of the top talents in the league, but he’s got a very exploitable weakness: frustration. The Brazilian is a body-language king and he’d be invited to my home poker game at any time. Here is where I outline the difference between “crafty” and “dirty” play. I’m sure that several of you would like to see him get Brexit-tackled. That’s ridiculous, and it falls into the “dirty” category. But the Timbers have a serious opportunity to get crafty during tomorrow’s game, and it begins with the dark arts. 

Picture this: Evander is carrying the ball through the center of the park but a Timbers player steps up to pressure him. Rather than initiating a challenge, the Portland player forces Evander to pass the ball. After the ball is gone, the player blocks Evander’s next movement, which forces Evander to initiate contact with the player. Player goes down, ref blows the whistle, Evander starts to get a little frustrated. These types of plays are the “dark arts” that the Timbers need to embrace tomorrow. They might not be able to keep their former teammate from affecting the game. But they can absolutely make him take himself out of the game. Rage-baiting Evander is the first order of business tomorrow. As his former teammates, the Timbers have enough ammo to initiate psychological warfare. 

The Exploitable Matchup

Portland’s next item on the checklist needs to be looking for the best avenue of attack. Luckily, their biggest strength matches up well with Cincinnati’s weakness: the wide areas. Engel is better suited to a left center-back role while Yedlin and Powell have both lost a step. Portland has Antony; the fastest player on the pitch and someone who is capable of playing on either wing. But after progressing the ball down the wings, the Timbers will need men in the box to get on the end of deliveries. This was a serious problem against Dallas, and I have no doubt that the coaching staff has been drilling them on it throughout this week. Robinson, Miazga, and Engel are good defenders who certainly don’t need help with clearances. Getting players in the box is priority number one in the attacking phase of play.

Set Pieces

There’s been some rumblings about set pieces as of late, but I’m not worried about Portland’s ability to defend corners and wide free-kicks. Evander’s delivery is a weapon, yes, and it should be ironic to see Portland players finally get their heads on some of his crosses. But this point is about the attacking set pieces, and Portland’s ability to keep improving on them. 

Robinson and Miazga are excellent in the air, so players like Surman and Fory will be tested. But what if I told you that choreographed routines would be excellent for a game like this? I can’t stop thinking about David Ayala’s winner against St. Louis. Rather than crossing and trying to win the initial ball, Portland should be trying to scheme some space in the box. In addition, the short corners could also help with moving Cincy’s box defenders around. I’m not a big proponent of short corners, but I don’t think that traditional corner kicks will get the job done tomorrow. 

Matchday Info

Announcer Analytics

English: Max Bretos & Brian Dunseth

Spanish: Diego Pessolano & Daniel Chapela

Home Radio Broadcast from 750 The Game: available on Apple TV

Broadcast platform: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV

Kickoff time: 7:30 PM PT (gates open at 5 PM)

Referee Report

Rubiel Vazquez’s 2025 stats: 17 games, 23.71 fouls/game, 0.53 penalties/game, 3.76 yellows/game, 0.06 reds/game

Last Timbers game officiated: October 24, 2024 at (vs) Vancouver, 5-0 L (yikes)

Series History

Historical record: 0-1-2, -4 goal differential

Home record: first meeting

Current streak: 1 loss

Current home streak: first meeting

Table Time

The Timbers have the hardest matchup among their fellow Western Conference playoff teams this weekend. That’s going to be a familiar sentence during this portion of the season. They can’t climb into the top four, but they can rise to 5th if results go their way. The lowest that they can drop is 7th. 4 points ahead of the Wild Card and 4 points back of the top four. Treading water is a must. Avoid sinking at all costs.

Final Whistle

After holding Portland’s record for most dishonorable departure for a mere six months (congratulations to Santiago Moreno for usurping him), Evander makes his return to Providence Park tomorrow. Neville’s message was loud and clear on Thursday: “I don’t want Portland Timbers fans to cheer for him.”

Since becoming a “performance-based incentives” appreciator, I’ve found it rather easy to root for Evander to keep filling up the stat sheet. But now, as he takes the field in an ugly white shirt, it’s easy to remember how infuriating his exit actually was. A man who decided to pout instead of helping his team advance in the playoffs should not be getting any cheers at all from Portland fans tomorrow. His reasoning, as stated multiple times since his exit, is based around trophy contention. On the surface, that’s understandable. Cincinnati are now a perennial trophy contender, and arguably more so since the former magic man arrived in February. But it still strikes me as hypocritical that he couldn’t find that same desire when he was a Timber. Instead of trying to stay and win with the club that brought him to MLS, he decided to force his way out and tank a season in the process.

But tomorrow’s game is another instance of the one who always stayed getting more flowers. Literally, there is a bouquet of roses in the bobblehead! Diego Chara and Evander are not the same player on the field, and they’re at complete opposite ends of the spectrum off of it. Tomorrow’s game is a signature battle between loyalty and treachery. 

In 2024, Evander’s Timbers never gave up. They always fought back, until they dug themselves too big of a hole to climb out of. The 2025 Timbers are still telling stories, and the common theme revolves around the unworthy and deceitful coming out on top time and time again. From The Asterisk to a swell of abuse in Austin to Moreno getting the move that he wanted, the villains have been winning all year when the Portland Timbers take the field. Tomorrow, more than ever, they have to buck that trend. The climb continues.