The #GioOut Debate- Part One

Every year, the same debate emerges: is Giovanni Savarese the right man to lead the Portland Timbers? The genial Venezuelan is in the middle of his sixth season in charge of the Timbers, and he has built an impressive resume. But a growing faction of fans are in favor of letting him go and taking the team in a different direction. I’m going to take a look at each of his seasons in charge and see how much weight the #GioOut argument truly has.

2018

Giovanni Savarese came to Portland in 2018, and led the team to a MLS Cup appearance in his first season. This was not a sure thing for most of the season, however. Savarese’s tenure started off with a 5-match winless streak, picking up two points in that stretch. It was lowlighted by a 3-2 loss in Orlando, when they were up 2-0 in the 80th minute before completely blowing it. A noteworthy fact of that dreary month was the Timbers playing the entirety of it on the road. In a shocking turn of form, they immediately started a massive unbeaten streak, going 11 matches without a loss. Only four draws occurred in that span, and their goal difference during that stretch was +14. That goal difference meant a lot of close games, but they were still able to hold on, with them only dropping points in the second half once in that span. Often, they were able to find late winners and take the result for themselves in those critical late moments. Diego Valeri, Sebastian Blanco, and newcomer Samuel Armenteros were routinely clutch. That streak was broken by a 2-1 loss in Vancouver in August, and ended up dropping their next three matches as well. Their form evened out after that, and at the end of the regular season they found themselves in the playoffs with a 5th-place finish in the Western Conference. That was also good enough for 8th in the Supporter’s Shield standings, which measures their performance against the whole league rather than just in their conference. A magical playoff run ensued. On Halloween, they defeated Dallas away from home to book a spot in the Conference Semis against their biggest rivals, the Seattle Sounders. At home in Portland, they won 2-1 taking a crucial advantage into CenturyLink Field. In an instant-classic match, the Timbers found themselves with an aggregate lead before Raul Ruidiaz fired home an equalizer in second-half stoppage time to send the match into extra-time. Both teams scored in extra-time, and in a funny (in hindsight) turn of events, the Timbers thought they had avoided penalties by scoring an away goal in the extra period. But away goals were suspended, and they went to a penalty shootout, which they promptly won and ended their rival’s season on their home turf. They tied the first leg of the Conference Final at home to SKC, but won the away leg outright following a Blanco wonder-goal and a Valeri brace. Their magical run ended against a superior Atlanta team, but it still wasn’t a complete wash. You just had this feeling it was Atlanta’s day, and they still put up a great fight against a better team. 

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2018 was an absolute success for the Timbers. They turned a very good regular season into a deep playoff run, all with a brand new manager. Their goal difference was +6, once again indicative of a team that played very close games. But their success this season was due to that clutchness, coming up big in the biggest moments in both the regular season and the playoffs. It was Blanco’s second season in Portland, and he turned into a star to complement both Diegos. Liam Ridgewell and Larrys Mabiala formed a solid CB tandem. Club legend Fanendo Adi left in August, but the emergence of draft pick Jeremy Ebobisse was massive, especially down the stretch. There was also solid depth behind their stars, led by Lawrence Olum and Andy Polo. A lot of their success was dependent on their stars, but their stars performed at their level and the Timbers were able to start the Savarese Era off with a bang. 

2019

There were 2 things that defined 2019: the Providence Park expansion and Brian Fernandez. Due to the stadium not being fully finished until June, the Timbers would have a long and grueling road trip for the first two months of the season. Midway through that trip, Fernandez arrived from Liga MX side Necaxa and immediately stamped his face on the new team. He scored at a torrid pace, energized the team, and was a model of a Designated Player. However, his hot start slowly cooled off, but the team kept scoring. They still found themselves in the thick of the playoff race, but on September 29th, everything changed. Fernandez was sent off for violent conduct in the 36th minute. But he wouldn’t just miss the final match of the season, which the Timbers had to win to make the playoffs. The day after the playoff clinching victory over San Jose, Fernandez entered the MLS Substance Abuse and Behavioral Health Program after a long battle with cocaine addiction. A 6th place Western Conference finish was only good enough for 11th place in the Supporter’s Shield. Their MLS Cup follow-up ended with a heartbreaking exit in the first round of the playoffs in Salt Lake. Therefore the 2019 season can only be summarized by the effects of the substance that indirectly fueled the team throughout the campaign: an immediate burst of energy and fight, followed by a shockingly quick fall that seemed like a fever dream. 

2020

Fernandez would not be with the team in 2020, so two new strikers arrived: Felipe Mora on loan and Jaroslaw Niezgoda on a permanent DP contract. This season was difficult, not just because of COVID-19. The Timbers only played two games (1-0-1) before the season was shut down.  After the season was suspended, MLS decided to host a closed-door bubble-style tournament in Orlando. Savarese, ever the tournament master, led the Timbers to victory in the one-and-only MLS is Back Tournament, a crown that can never be won by any other club. This run was possible due to two people: Savarese and Sebastian Blanco. It could have been incredibly easy for this team to phone it in for this tournament, heck, several clubs seemed to do just that. Savarese deserves a ton of credit for motivating the team during MLS is Back. Blanco, on the other hand, was the best player in the tournament. He had 3 goals and 5 assists in the 7 matches Portland played in the Orlando bubble. The boost the tournament win gave the Timbers carried over into the resumed season. It looked like the Timbers were headed towards another MLS Cup run, until the slippery turf at Lumen Field claimed Blanco as its latest victim. The Timbers were still able to get into the playoffs, but Blanco had taken Valeri’s spot as the best attacker on the team. Another Designated Player, the prolific striker Jaroslaw Niezgoda, tore his ACL in the regular season finale. This team limped into the playoffs with their best finish in the West so far under Savarese, finishing tied for 1st but finishing 3rd on dumb technicalities (playing more games). It was also good enough for an 8th place finish in the Shield. The Timbers once again suffered heartbreak in the playoffs, allowing a 90th minute equalizer to Dallas before losing 8-7 on penalties in the first round. Those two injuries would carry lasting effects into the next season. 

2021

2021, however, is Savarese’s defining season as Timbers manager. Another tumultuous early season seemed to doom Portland, lowlighted by an earth-shattering 6-2 defeat to Seattle at Providence Park. However, Savarese’s late-season magic returned in full force. Highlighted by Blanco rediscovering his pre-injury form, Portland ripped off 10 wins in their last 14 matches, with clean sheets in 6 of those victories. They entered the playoffs as the 4th seed in the West, took care of business at home against Minnesota, and saw top seeds around the league get eliminated. A win at Colorado on Thanksgiving and a late RSL winner in Kansas City saw the Western Conference Final return to Portland. With a win against RSL, the Timbers would host their first MLS Cup regardless of the result in the Eastern Conference Final. During that jewel of a match, Portland took control early with a Felipe Mora goal within 5 minutes and later saw the game sealed with an incredible first Timbers goal by Santiago Moreno. 2021 MLS Cup fell on December 11th, in a whipping wind and rain storm on a day that seemed like it wouldn’t go the hosts way. That was until the last kick of regulation, when Mora fired home a deflected shot into the south end net and sent the entire stadium into a frenzy. No words could describe the feeling that flooded my body in section 106, after tricking a NYCFC ticket rep into getting me a $75 ticket, after waiting in line outside Gate D praying my ticket would scan since 7 AM freezing my toes off standing off the sidewalk on Morrison, getting to my seat and not leaving it until the final kick knowing if I left I would not be able to get back in. The team of destiny was back. 30 minutes of delirium followed in extra time. And then the world stood still. Penalties will never be easy. MLS is Back required multiple penalty shootout wins. The 2018 Seattle epic ended with an unforgettable penalty shootout in front of ECS. Alexander Callens roofed a penalty into the North End net, right in front of my face. All I could do was stand in disbelief, chanting “When I root, I root for the Timbers,” in a trancelike state as the team that had their fingers on the Cup slowly walked back into the locker room, while the plucky underdog oil club lifted the trophy into the air to raucous cheering from their own traveling supporters. Later that night, after I had exited the stadium several hours earlier still in a trance, I returned. I traced the steps of the wristband line I had waited in several times before, wondering when I would be here next, and under what circumstances. I knew those circumstances wouldn’t contain Diego Valeri, the face of the club since his arrival in 2013. A man that influential to the history of the club went out with a penalty saved in front of his own fans with a title on the line. I wouldn’t wish the feeling he felt heading back to the halfway circle on anyone. My wistfulness and sadness that day is mostly directed at goalkeeper Steve Clark. It would be his last match in a Portland uniform on December 11th, and the Loris Karius-like ability he had displayed in 2015 came back on that stormy day on the turf of Providence. Blaming keepers is something I don’t like to do. But in the biggest moments, you cannot allow shots to go underneath you. The lasting effects of that Saturday in December will be felt from now until I am buried in green and gold. 

In addition to the on-field drama, trouble began to brew in the front office. An article released by The Athletic in late September detailed ongoing harassment by former Thorns coach Paul Riley, and owner Merritt Paulson’s willingness to cover it up. The sins of the suits were now on full display, and there was a massive amount of backlash from the Timbers’ fanbase, as Paulson owned both teams. Timbers GM Gavin Wilkinson was also implicated in the article, and now the team was heading into an offseason with a stake in their heart from the tragic end to the season on the field and turmoil in the executive suite.

2022

2022 was shrouded in doubt from the opening whistle. A team that never fully clicked until it was too late missed the playoffs after a final day surrender in Salt Lake. Savarese tried to work his late-season magic once again, but it came up just short. However, it wasn’t a trophyless season in Portland. The Timbers went undefeated in the Cascadia Cup and claimed it in a season where I believed it mattered more than any other trophy the club could have won. It was a silver lining and a wonderful thank-you present to many fans who were having existential crises in how to draw the line between supporting the team or the suits who sat in the executive suites. The dysfunction from the Thorns crept into the Timbers’ side of the ownership, as this was the year of Andy Polo. Polo did not play a single minute for the club this year, but he had been released by the team after signing a new contract. It was revealed that his release was necessitated by domestic violence allegations from his wife. The team knew of the allegations, but that didn’t stop them from signing that contract. Given the club’s lack of moral compass, winning the trophy made by the fans for the fans was poetic. However, with Savarese’s sixth campaign already four matches old, I think it’s a fair time for a performance assessment. 

Part Two will be out later this week, covering the nitty-gritty of Gio’s reign in the Rose City. Don’t forget to subscribe to get it directly in your inbox the moment it releases.

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