Big changes over the Timbers’ offseason create a blank slate for 2020
By Dillon George ‘22
Big losses and additions to the Timbers roster leave fans wondering what the upcoming season will present.
In the big picture, for the first time ever, the team won’t face every opponent in the MLS. This bodes well for them as they won’t have to play three playoff teams from the Easter conference.
2020 brings a more balanced schedule to the table as well. With the expansion of Providence Park last year, the team started off with a 12-game road trip. This proved to be a hard task for Portland as they were ranked tenth out of 12 teams in the Western Conference going into their first game at Providence Park.
This year, the longest home stand is at two games and the longest road trip is at three.
Overall, Portland brought plenty of new talent to Providence Park. The team took strides in the signings of Diego Chara’s younger brother, Yimmi. Diego Chara is a fan favorite veteran for the team, a feisty and intelligent midfielder who helps control the pace of the game.
His brother, Yimmi, is another play-creating midfielder who will provide speed and passing for the front line during their attack.
Another signing was the leading goalscorer of the top Polish league, Jaroslaw Niezgoda. He played for Legia Warszawa, the top team in the league and slotted 14 goals in 18 matches.
A third off-season signing was Felipe Mora, a striker from Liga MX acquired on loan from Club Universal Nacional. Mora will likely start at forward in the wake of Fernandez.
Senior Eamon Walsh, a CGS soccer player, was semi-skeptical of the talents of Mora. “My hopes for Mora are so-so,” he said. Walsh mentioned the competition gap between Mora and Niezgoda. “I think [Niezgoda] was playing in the Europa League, and scoring in the Europa League as well.”
Sadly, most of these signings were forced to come in the wake of Brian Fernandez, the team’s tied leading goal scorer with 11 goals in 19 matches played.
“I was really bummed to see Fernandez go,” said Walsh. “He was an exciting player.”
Fernandez, the 25-year-old prodigy taken from Argentina showed sparks of stardom for the Timbers before entering the league’s mental health and substance abuse program on Oct. 7, 2019. His contract was then terminated by the league on Nov. 15, 2019.
Jeremy Ebobisse is another favorite, alongside Mora, to fill the void of Fernandez. Ebobisee was tied as the team’s leading scorer last year, with 11 goals. “I think this season we could really see Ebobisse turn a corner,” said Walsh.
Junior Jed Whalen-Stewart, another CGS soccer player, added, “I still believe in Ebobisse, but it depends how Gio uses him. He lines up really well as a winger.” Ebobisse is a promising young star at only 23 years old.
In addition to new signings, Portland retained some very important familiar faces.
First off, the Timbers re-signed fan favorite and former league MVP Diego Valeri to a new multi-year deal using Targeted Allocation Money. This is money that is given by the league to a team so they can retain a player who will “make an immediate impact on the field.” The 33-year-old was the league’s second leader in assists in 2019.
In addition to this, the Timbers re-signed centerback Bill Tuiloma to a multi-year deal as well. Tuiloma showed promise as the 24-year-old played in 24 games with 21 starts and a goal. He will be particularly important with the loss of center back Zarek Valentin, who was drafted by Nashville in the expansion draft, before being traded to the Houston Dynamo.
The last player re-inked by the Timbers was another fan favorite, goalkeeper Steve Clark. Clark, a veteran goalkeeper, entered the spotlight for the team last year, playing in 25 games and recording one of the highest save percentages (75%) as well as lowest goals against per 90 minutes (1.04).
Whalen-Stewart was most excited about the re-signing of Steve Clark. “He’s a very vocal player on and off the field,” said Whalen-Stewart. He also mentioned how he loves his confidence and cockiness. “He brings a presence to the team that they lack in the back line.”
So now the question remains. Have the Timbers done enough to give themselves a real shot at winning the league?
Obviously, losing Brian Fernandez was a big step back for the team. The Argentinian had shown great promise after about half a season with Portland. Will Niezgoda and Ebobisee fill the hole he created? Will Mora or a returning player step up?
So far, the results have been concerning. The Timbers dropped two of their three games in the preseason tournament, losing by multiple goals to both Minnesota and New England.
The first game of the regular season was equally disappointing. The Timbers lost at home in an early rematch with Minnesota, losing three goals to one, which the only goal coming from a penalty drawn by Mora and converted by Valeri.
In an interview with Timbers.com’s Richard Farley, head coach Giovanni Savarese expressed bluntly, “We’ve been exposed these last two games in ways we’re not happy with.”
Savarese later noted, “It’s my responsibility to fix the defense’s problems... our preseason’s been very good, and our attack has shown it’s capable of playing through teams with no problem.”
Both Whalen-Stewart and Walsh were confident that the Timbers can make the playoffs this year. Whalen-Stewart, when asked about a key to success, said, “The relative success that they’ve achieved has come at the back of extreme moments of momentum.”
Clearly, the Timbers have made a lot of off season moves. Their starting lineup, as of their first regular season game, featured three new signees. Will these additions be enough to propel them through to the trophy, or will the team’s inconsistency and lack of role players hinder their playoff hopes?
