Portland Timbers Season Preview

Last season, the Portland Timbers missed the playoffs for the first time since 2016. A hangover from a brutal MLS Cup loss compounded with the shortest offseason in league history were two major factors that led to the postseason miss. On the field, however, the Timbers had a very hard time creating quality chances. That resulted in an overreliance on set pieces and, in particular, penalty kicks. At certain points, watching last year’s Timbers was a labor of love and not excitement.

Coach Giovanni Savarese is hoping one man can add the spark to their attack that was desperately missing last year. Evander has made the move from FC Midtjylland for a club-record $10 million fee. He played as an 8 for the Danish side, but Savarese and GM Ned Grabavoy envision him as a 10 in Portland’s tried-and-true 4-2-3-1. His goal contributions record speaks for itself. He recorded 11 goals+assists in 18 matches this campaign for Midtjylland, including a massive 4 assists in 6 matches in the Europa League. Now, those numbers are fantastic for an attacking midfielder, but Evander was playing mostly in the center of the park, making those numbers even more staggering. He has the potential to be the most instant-impact Timbers signing since Diego Valeri (or Brian Fernandez, if you want to open that can of worms.) 

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Even though the Timbers arguably made the biggest splash of the MLS offseason, the rest of their transfer business has been rather quiet. There are no other incoming players besides Evander. In terms of departure, cult hero right-back Josecarlos Van Rankin has returned to Mexico after his loan expired. Bill Tuiloma was shockingly traded four days ago but no player came in return. Grabavoy re-signed striker Nathan Fogaca, and also picked four new players in the SuperDraft (Noel Caliskan is the most instant-impact of those picks.) Contract-wise, Felipe Mora signed an extension that lowers his cap hit in exchange for more years under contract. Zac McGraw and Claudio Bravo also signed multi-year extensions in October and November, respectfully. 

Of course, injuries must be talked about. Mora is still dealing with complications from a knee surgery in 2022 and is expected back in May at the earliest. Promising defensive midfielder David Ayala underwent knee surgery in the offseason and is expected back in early April. In another offseason shocker, fan favorite forward Dairon Asprilla is having knee surgery and is probably not going to be back until the summer. In the short-term, left-back Claudio Bravo is dealing with a hamstring issue and might miss the first couple matches of the season. Sebastian Blanco isn’t carrying an injury diagnosis, but he is still dealing with knee problems from last season. 

Off the field, many fans are conflicted over the current ownership situation. A report was released in early October of 2022 that detailed the systemic misogyny and toxic club culture in the front office of the club. A large majority of fans are calling for owner Merritt Paulson to sell the team, while a smaller but vocal minority aren’t too bothered by the report. Paulson hired Heather Davis as the club’s CEO in January. After a couple of interviews, the #SellTheTeam crowd was not too keen on her presence in the front office. It looks like it is going to be another season of two faces: the performance on the field and the club’s ongoing turmoil in the executive suites. 

On the field, the Timbers once again have a quality group of players that look like a potential title-winning team. The most pressing personnel issues going into the season are at the striker and center back positions. Some moves will have to be made in the summer to address that. Their strong core of keeper Aljaz Ivacic, DM and captain Diego Chara, midfielder Eryk Williamson, and winger Santiago Moreno can compete with the league’s best on a weekly basis. Right back Juan David Mosquera is already being eyed by European clubs as well. Playoffs should be the bare minimum for this team, and a second star might not be out of the question either. 

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