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claudio bravo

Claudio Bravo provided his second assist of the 2022 season on Sunday.
Portland Timbers

Timbers put playoff hopes in jeopardy with heartbreaking 2-1 loss to LAFC

by Charlie Folkestad
written by Charlie Folkestad

Denis Bouanga is slick.

His hair is slick, his footwork is slick, and his touch is slicker than almost any in Major League Soccer. Since joining LAFC over the summer, only one thing has evaded him: a goal.

It was his 95th minute winner that made the difference, though, winning his team a trophy.

Match Summary

Gio Savarese gambled with his starting lineup against LAFC Sunday afternoon.

The Timbers gaffer selected Cristhian Paredes, Larrys Mabiala, Jaroslaw Niezgoda, and Juan Mosquera for the crucial meeting with MLS’ table-toppers over more established names like Sebastian Blanco and Yimmi Chara. Eryk Williamson and Zac McGraw had been regulars for the Timbers, as well.

Mosquera made his first MLS start after an impressive substitute debut in Columbus last game.

Portland created a few good chances to start the game, but LAFC battled into control of the first half. The best chance belonged to the visitors — Bouanga darted past Mabiala and Dario Zuparic, but couldn’t chip Aljaz Ivacic.

The game would always be defined by its second half, though.

Vela received a cutting pass from Kellyn Acosta. He took a touch, faked a shot, and perfectly placed one past the outstretched arm of Ivacic, who could only manage one hand on it. Bravo and Paredes failed to really pressure Vela, but that’s a moment he’s produced over and over during his time in MLS.

Portland took a while to respond. Savarese sent on reinforcements in the 74th minute (Eryk Williamson and Yimmi Chara), and they immediately got involved. Seven minutes later, the Timbers had their equalizer.

Claudio Bravo whipped in a cross for Dairon Asprilla, who smashed a header past Crepeau to make it 1-1. The energy was back. A draw or better for Portland felt inevitable.

But the Timbers never showed much bite after the equalizer. LAFC controlled the match, and were nearly rewarded with a penalty as stoppage time began. Thankfully, Ismail Elfath saw no wrongdoing on the part of Bravo.

Even with the break, Portland still never looked great.

In the end, LAFC’s talent won out. Denis Bouanga, a borderline star in Ligue 1, scored his first MLS goal with a weaving run through the Timbers’ right side of defense. He nutmegged Zuparic and slid his shot past Diego Chara, Bill Tuiloma, and ultimately Aljaz Ivacic.

Unfortunately, it was a sobering reminder of the wide talent gap in MLS, and that the Timbers aren’t the type of club to lure the biggest names.

Worse, it meant the second time in the past 10 months that a team not named the Timbers celebrated a trophy in Providence Park.

And worst, the Timbers could have clinched a playoff spot with a win. even a draw would have put them in a good spot. But the loss renders the final match at Real Salt Lake as a de facto play-in. The Timbers must get at least a draw from RSL, if not more.

Standings provided by SofaScore

Notes

  • Portland conceded Bouanga’s goal in the 95th minute after scoring in the 95th minute last week.
  • This is LAFC’s second Supporters’ Shield in four years.
  • Carlos Vela scored his 12th goal of the season. Asprilla scored his ninth.
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Dairon Asprilla celebrates his goal against Minnesota.
Portland Timbers

Timbers hold off pesky Loons for crucial 1-0 win

by Charlie Folkestad
written by Charlie Folkestad

Nothing about Portland Timbers’ 1-0 Saturday night win over a depleted Minnesota United FC was easy.

The Timbers scratched and clawed their way to victory thanks to a Dairon Asprilla header off a corner kick in the 61st minute. They held on despite 20 total shots from the visitors to earn their fourth straight win.

The Loons were without two of their best players: midfielder Bakaye Dibassy and attacker Emanuel Reynoso both missed the match due to injury. This was Portland’s chance to put out a dominant showing; a playoff-caliber performance en route to three points could inspire confidence for the rest of the season.

The Timbers didn’t get the playoff-caliber performance, but they did get the win.

Match Summary

The first half was all about Minnesota’s Mender Garcia. The 23-year-old Colombian had four good-or-better chances in the opening 45, forcing two saves from Aljaz Ivacic and putting another two shots into the side-netting.

In all, Minnesota totaled 13 first-half shots. Claudio Bravo and Bill Tuiloma each saved a shot off the goal line.

Santiago Moreno struggled to settle into the game, as did Sebastian Blanco. Yimmi Chara was inconsistent on the ball, while Eryk Williamson provided his usual flare. But it was Mr. October who stepped up a month early.

Asprilla weaseled between Michael Boxall and Luis Amarilla at the near post, redirecting the fellow Colombian Moreno’s in-swinger past Dayne St. Clair for the night’s only goal. It was Asprilla’s eighth of the season and third in the last four matches.

Minnesota pressed on, but only offered one or two dangerous moments. Portland’s back line held together despite shakiness on set pieces.

In the end, though, who cares about the performance? Portland are temporarily fifth in the Western Conference.

Standings provided by SofaScore LiveScore

Notes

  • During this four-match win streak, Portland have scored only one of their seven goals from open play (Zac McGraw’s tap-in against Austin was against the run of play, as well). It hasn’t always been pretty, but it’s winning games.
  • Ivacic made five saves and now leads MLS in total saves. He hasn’t stopped calling himself the best in the league.
  • Bravo had three tackles and continues to lead MLS in total tackles.
  • Zac McGraw is suspended for the next match due to yellow card accumulation.
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Bill Tuiloma's sixth goal of the 2022 season gave Portland a first-half lead in Austin.
Portland Timbers

Timbers somehow scrape out a 2-1 win in Austin

by Charlie Folkestad
written by Charlie Folkestad

The Portland Timbers exited last Friday’s landmark 2-1 win over their rival Seattle Sounders full of optimism (as they should have). The win momentarily moved Portland above the playoff line and secured the Cascadia Cup — possibly Portland’s only hardware of the 2022 season.

But anyone paying attention to Portland’s upcoming schedule might not have been so rosy. Of the six remaining games, only Atlanta United are situated outside the playoffs in the current table.

The odds were always stacked against the Timbers tonight. In Portland’s two previous trips to Austin, the Timbers lost by a combined score of 7-2. Those were against Austin’s expansion side, as well, a team that suffered a Western Conference-high 21 losses and second-worst 31 points in 2021.

That trend died midweek, as the Timbers somehow overcame a shot deficit of 26-14 to bring a crucial 2-1 win back to Portland.

** BUT FIRST! HERE’S YOUR REMINDER THAT THERE WAS A 2-HOUR LIGHTNING DELAY, ICYMI **

Match Summary

Austin flew out of the gates from opening kickoff, squashing Portland with relentless possession. Aljaz Ivacvic was forced into a big save early, but the Timbers found counterattacking daylight against Austin’s super-high lines, especially on corner kicks.

Despite countless missed opportunities on these counterattacks, Portland would eventually find their breakthroughs.

It began with Bill Tuiloma’s header off an Eryk Williamson free kick assist — his second in the past two matches.

MVP frontrunner Sebastian Driussi predictably retook the Golden Boot lead — it was his goal which brought Austin back into the match in the 79th minute — but like Seattle, Austin arrived with too little too late.

In a game where Austin bossed possession and kept the Timbers on the ropes (and Diego Fagundez created 9 chances), it was Zac McGraw playing the unlikeliest hero role, cleaning up a saved Williamson shot in the 73rd minute. It was one of Williamson’s five chances created on the night.

Speaking of Williamson, the USMNT hopeful has been involved in all of Portland’s last four goals (drawing the penalty against Seattle, the two free kick deliveries, and the saved shot for McGraw’s tap-in). Gregg Berhalter said Williamson would need to be at the top of his game for the rest of the season if hew was to be considered for a World Cup roster spot, and the 25-year-old midfielder is doing his best.

But despite the heroics of the Williamson-Diego Chara midfield, tonight’s flowers can only go to one group: the back line. The back-four of Claudio Bravo, Dario Zuparic, McGraw and right-back Tuiloma only let five shots leak on target, with Ivacic making four saves (and the woodwork helping out a bit).

I doin’t care how many expected goals Austin had (they’ve been over-performing those numbers all year anyways). I don’t care how many times they hit the post. We know what this Timbers team is good and bad at by this point. All that matters are results.

And what a massive result Portland pulled off tonight.

Notes

Newest Timber Juan David Mosquera arrived in Portland in time for Seattle game last week and made the trip to Austin with the team, though he did not play in either game.

This was McGraw’s first MLS goal. That makes me smile.

portland now owns their all-time series vs Austin FC (3-0d-2). This was the first time a home team has dropped points in the series.

As with the last recap, Portland end the night just barely on the good side of the playoff line.

Standings provided by SofaScore LiveScore

Next up, the Timbers host Atlanta United this Sunday. Kickoff is 2:55 p.m. on big FOX.

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pablo-bonilla-stability
Portland Timbers

Opinion: Timbers need stability after latest loss

by Charlie Folkestad
written by Charlie Folkestad

The Portland Timbers fell to the Los Angeles Galaxy 3-1 Sunday afternoon in Providence Park.

This result was unacceptable on many levels to Timbers fans, who have dealt with waves of club scandals over the past few seasons. Even national anthem singer Madison Stanley voiced her opinion against the club’s recent actions.

Off-field frustrations can often boil over to overly-harsh on-field criticisms. Some fans are more concerned with the community aspect the Timbers provide than the on-field results. Others couldn’t care less and are purely concerned with goals in nets and points on the table.

But absolutely no one is happy when the team is losing.

Portland now have six points from six matches in 2022. Their undefeated home streak since October 20th, 2021 officially came to an end Sunday, though losing MLS Cup to NYCFC on penalties hardly felt like a draw.

Excuses

Let’s get this out of the way. The Timbers have a TON of injuries. No single combination of this back line has played consecutive full 90s together this season.

The two starting center backs, Dario Zuparic and Larrys Mabiala, both began the season injured. Only the former has returned. Pablo Bonilla just got back into the squad after a visa issue.

Sebastian Blanco, Portland’s best player, is not fit. He made his first start last weekend, but was taken off after 73 minutes with a planned substitution. The game changes when he’s on thew pitch, and he’s only been there about a third of the time this season.

Eryk Williamson just got back from injury. He hasn’t fully recovered from a torn ACL last year.

Felipe Mora, Portland’s leading goal scorer last season, has not played a single minute yet. Portland’s third-string striker, Tega Ikoba, hasn’t either.

There are dark clouds hanging over the organization. None of the current players or coaches are at fault for that.

That being said, goals drive progress.

Necessary improvements

Bluntly, two of Portland’s Designated Players are underperforming, while the other one is injured.

There’s an argument to be made that Yimmi Chara is performing at a DP-level this season, but not in the last few weeks. Other than his bicycle kicks (which, yes, we do need to acknowledge and appreciate), Yimmi only makes the easy pass in the final third. He’s not going to break a team down like Blanco can.

I’ve defended Jaroslaw Niezgoda in the past, especially during his first season when he had an insanely good scoring rate (1.04 per 90). But he hasn’t reached that level since tearing his ACL in November of that 2020 season.

He has the skill to do so, too. That amazing flick in Dallas showed us his quality. But we need to see it on the pitch, otherwise he’s never winning the starting spot over Felipe Mora.

I tend to think Gio knows what he’s doing tactically, but I still don’t understand dragging “Jaro” out wide. I guess he created the chance that led to a penalty against Orlando from the wing, but still. It’s weird.

Aljaz Ivacic hasn’t been good enough, either. We knew he wasn’t going to be as good as Steve Clark, and I still commend the club’s decision not to splash money for an aging goalkeeper, but Ivacic needs to be better. His PSxG-GA number (+0.02, 52nd percentile in MLS) is bang-average. I’ll stop short of blaming him for any of the Timbers’ problems (we’ll get to the back line in a second) but he can certainly be part of the solution.

Dairon Asprilla reached an elite level last season, but he’s been nearly invisible since scoring in week one. He’s another guy who could step up.

Alright, time for the defense discussion. Portland brought in both Claudio Bravo and Josecarlos Van Rankin prior to the 2021 season. They were supposed to hold down starting spots with consistent performances, and did for much of last season.

But 2022 has been a disaster for both of them. Each have a red card and have struggled to do what their position says — DEFEND!

Moreover, the replacement options have also been rough. Pablo Bonilla’s sending off may not have been deserved, but it wasn’t like he was having a great match anyway. Justin Rasmussen is their only other fullback option, and he’s a rookie. He replaced Bonilla at right back despite being left-footed.

Both Bravo and Van Rankin have the ability to play well. We saw it last year when Portland made MLS Cup. (Bravo in particular has some great attacking movements.) But it’s time for them to start doing it, because it hasn’t been here yet this season.

How can the Timbers change?

(Despite the obvious changes that could but won’t occur at the highest level of the club, of course.)

Have the players play better. I have full confidence in Gio Savarese. That’s the good news. These matches barely matter if the Timbers can get hot going into the playoffs, which his Portland teams do more often than not.

This Saturday’s match in British Columbia is a chance to turn things around. Vancouver have four points from five matches. It’s a rivalry. Both teams are in really bad spots despite making big signings in recent years.

I would love to see Gio shake up the starting XI and remind usual starters that they need to perform better. These are the types of matches that can either bury a team mentally or spark better performances.

Point of clarity

Before this rant is over, I’d like to make just one more point: There seems to be a disconnect in discourse which conflates the “Timbers Army” and 107IST.

As it’s broadly understood, the Timbers Army is the people occupying sections of general admission seats in Providence Park. The Timbers Army waves flags and chants, but 107IST makes the decisions for the Timbers Army. Personally, I consider myself a member of both. As of this year, I’ve paid my dues to 107IST and can join in on meetings should I choose to.

There’s obviously a ton of crossover between people sitting in GA and 107IST, but the difference was apparent during the “five minutes of silence” against Orlando City. Prior to the match, 107IST sent out an email detailing the planned demonstration. But many fans sitting in the TA section didn’t know about it, and there was understandable confusion.

I don’t see a clear solution to this. Some fans don’t want to pay the yearly 107IST fee to be part of the more “official” fan club — constantly purchasing tickets is enough of a financial barrier. I was also in this boat until last December.

But there is something to be said about everyone in the section being on the same page. It makes demonstrations more effective and creates a better community. Again, I don’t see a simple solution to this tension.

What I can say, though, is that protecting your own “relevance” as a fan is never worth alienating people. The TA has had its share of gatekeeping issues in the past, and they do no good for anyone. We all go to the stadium for the same reason: to watch the Timbers play soccer.

Thank you for reading this rant. If you’d like more rants, check out the Double Post Podcast, which I run with my friend Reece. We post weekly during the season.

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Portland Timbers

Timbers announce initial roster updates

by Charlie Folkestad
written by Charlie Folkestad

Major League Soccer never stops, even right after the MLS Cup final. The Expansion Draft will take place Tuesday, Dec. 14th and free agency opens Wednesday, Dec. 15th.

The Timbers announced a bevy of roster decisions Monday, including the list of unprotected players for tomorrow’s Expansion Draft.

No matter how you feel about general manager Gavin Wilkinson and owner Merritt Paulson, they have a lot of important decisions to make in the coming weeks.

Who’s gone?

Jorge Gonzalez, Ismaila Jome, Manny Perez, and Renzo Zambrano are all not re-signing. We know they’re gone. Gonzalez and Perez never saw action for the first team and Jome barely did. All four of these guys are unprotected for Charlotte FC’s expansion draft.

Who’s staying?

Portland left 10 of its 21 players on the current roster (so, not including the four names above) unprotected. The 11 protected players which Portland will definitely have next season are:

  • Goalkeepers – Hunter Sulte
  • Defenders – Dario Župarić, Bill Tuiloma, Claudio Bravo
  • Midfielders – Blake Bodily, Diego Chará, Yimmi Chará, Marvin Loría, Santiago Moreno, Cristhian Paredes, Eryk Williamson, Dairon Asprilla
  • Forwards – Felipe Mora, Jarosław Niezgoda

Who’s in limbo?

The ones we don’t know about yet:

  • Goalkeepers – Steve Clark, Jeff Attinella, Aljaz Ivacic
  • Defenders – Larrys Mabiala, Zac McGraw, Josecarlos Van Rankin, Pablo Bonilla
  • Midfielders – Sebastian Blanco, Diego Valeri, Andy Polo, George Fochive
  • Forwards – N/A

The Timbers are looking to re-sign Sebastian Blanco, Steve Clark, Aljaz Ivacic, and Josecarlos Van Rankin. I’d be shocked if Blanco didn’t re-sign. Not so sure about the other three. Briefly, here’s why:

  • Van Rankin was on loan from Chivas Guadalajara this season. There have been rumors of him both re-signing in Portland and re-joining Chivas. I could see this one going either way.
  • Clark is 35. He’s had some great moments for Portland, but he’s certainly more replaceable because of his age.
  • Ivacic has barely played for the Timbers. He conceded 12 goals in four starts this season and is clearly the third-best Portland ‘keeper when healthy. The Timbers also have both Hunter Sulte and Jeff Attinella still under contract. I’d say Ivacic re-signing is unlikely.

What should the priorities be?

Priority #1 for Gavin Wilkinson has to be to re-sign Sebastián Blanco. This should be obvious. Getting him on a non-Designated Player deal (like Valeri signed a few years ago) would be ideal, but might not be feasible. Either way, keep him in the club.

Diego Valeri’s future might not affect the team on the field much, but it’s crucial for fan buy-in (which has obviously been waning lately).

Beyond that, decisions on Van Rankin and Clark will be most important. If those two are gone, that’s two starting spots to fill. I doubt Charlotte takes anyone from Portland tomorrow.

Portland are not one of the top-five spenders in MLS, but they are consistently near the top. The front office has showed its willingness to spend in the right places and take full advantage of MLS’ wonky roster rules (using the U-22 initiative to sign Moreno, for example).

We’ll see how they approach a pivotal offseason.

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Portland Timbers

Expectations & Predictions for Portland’s second leg against CD Marathón

by Kevin Nesgoda
written by Kevin Nesgoda

The Portland Timbers will face CD Marathón in Providence Park at 5pm PT this evening for the second leg of their Concacaf Champions League Round of 16 clash versus CD Marathón of Honduras. Portland secured a 2-2 draw in the previous fixture.


Photo via Portland Timbers (used with permission)

Photo via Portland Timbers (used with permission)

The Timbers left San Pedro Sula one week ago with two away goals and plenty of confidence. Despite Honduran goals that leveled the tie not once but twice, Portland looked like the better team throughout. In a more familiar setting (and, more importantly, a more forgiving pitch), Portland should be able to put themselves through.

Now they face a straightforward task in the home leg: win or draw without conceding two goals.

This will be just the second match in Providence Park with fans since last season, and the first for the Timbers since a 1-0 victory over Nashville SC on March 8th, 2020. With the park operating at 20% capacity, the extra support should give Portland a small home boost.

Portland were without Sebastián Blanco and Jeremy Ebobisse for the first leg, and both should be back—if not starting—for the second.


My expected starting XI for today

My expected starting XI for today

Don’t be surprised to see Ebobisse starting over either Felipe Mora or Blanco. Mora did score last match, although he also missed a small handful of chances. We’ve seen Jebo on the wing and up top in the past, and he may be more fit than Blanco, who is coming off an ACL tear last season.

I expected Portland to let the game come to them a little more in the first leg, but after snagging the majority of possession in that match (58% to be exact), I expect them to do the same tonight. Marathón only need a single goal to flip the script, so the first score will be crucial. Gio Savarese & Co. will have to go for an early one to grab control of the tie.

With away goals being the tiebreaker, one Timbers goal means Marathón will need two to win. Portland certainly have the more talented roster, so this isn’t that tall of a task.

The Oregon Lottery Scoreboard has Portland at a comfortable -500 odds to win, with a draw at +700 and CD Marathón win least likely at +1000.

I predict a comfortable two-goal win for the Timbers, either 2-0 or 3-1. Maybe even four goals if the boys in green have their shooting boots on tonight.

Follow @doublepostpod for total coverage of tonight’s match, including our postgame reaction podcast later this evening.

As always, RCTID!

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Portland Timbers

Timbers sign van Rankin: A look at the defensive depth chart

by Kevin Nesgoda
written by Kevin Nesgoda

The Portland Timbers have signed Mexican international right-back Josecarlos van Rankin from Chivas Guadalajara to a one-year loan deal with an option to buy.

Van Rankin, 27, has plenty of experience in 250+ Liga MX appearances for big-name clubs, namely Pumas. You can read all about his skillset here, although there’s nothing out of the ordinary.

His arrival comes off the heels of a wild few years of fullback changes, including:

  • Alvas Powell and Zarek Valentin’s departures

  • Team-of-the-Season-Jorge Moreira’s failure to re-sign

  • Jorge Villafaña’s return and re-departure

…and much, much more.

So far this offseason, the Timbers have added Claudio Bravo and van Rankin while subtracting Chris Duvall, Villafaña, and Gresham’s own Marco Farfan. This leaves Pablo Bonilla as Portland’s only returning outside back.

In the center of defense, Julio Cascante is the only departure, while Larrys Mabiala and Zac McGraw had their deals extended. Dario Župarić and Bill Tuiloma are still under contract.

If you’re good at counting, you may realize that totals four defensive departures and just two additions. The front office will surely be adding more depth as the offseason continues…

Gavin Wilkinson’s “Young Designated Player Center Back” signing that was mentioned at the start of the offseason has yet to materialize. Some have speculated the youngin’ may come from Brazil, as the Timbers have reportedly already had an offer declined from there.

Despite a looming lockout, let’s assume MLS matches will be played at some point this season. For the sake of exploration, here’s how the Timbers will probably look in their two-deep this year.


screenshot 2021-02-03 at 1.07.13 PM.png

A couple things to note:

  • Notice how we only have seven guys total. And I promise I’m not missing anyone.

  • I have Bonilla listed ahead of van Rankin solely because Giovanni Savarese has some outstanding fascination with him. Personally, I would start van Rankin. But we’ll see come matchday one.

  • There’s been zero indication that Gio wants to move to a back-three or anything like that. I’d be shocked if we’re not lined up in the same back-four.

So how will we fill out the roster? If that Young DP center back wish comes true, that still leaves the Timbers scarily thin at outside back.

I would hope and assume that Wilkinson & Co. take a similar approach to last year: bring in a guy like Chris Duvall for preseason trials and sign him if he fits. Personally, I liked Duvall a lot, and thought he should have been making some starts over Bonilla when both were healthy last season.

If not an MLS vet, the Timbers will likely use T2 call-ups to fill out the outside back positions. This is how Farfan got into the squad, after all. You can find a list of T2 defenders here. Aedan Stanley, who got all the left-back minutes last year, was signed by Sporting KC II over the offseason.

Again, there’s no way the Timbers will head into the regular season this thin.

Follow @doublepostpod on Twitter for instant reactions—and, as always, Go Timbers!

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Portland Timbers

Timbers’ Mabiala, Villafaña, and More: What You Need to Know

by Kevin Nesgoda
written by Kevin Nesgoda

On Tuesday Morning, the Portland Timbers announced their official signing of veteran center back Larrys Mabiala to a “multi-year contract extension.” Read the full press release here.


Image by Jared Martinez, Matt Stith & Devin L'Amoreaux via MLS

Image by Jared Martinez, Matt Stith & Devin L’Amoreaux via MLS

The 33-year-old from the Democratic Republic of the Congo has often been heralded as the most reliable piece of Portland’s back line since the departure of Liam Ridgewell following the 2018 season, making 99 appearances (including 97 starts) in all competitions for the Timbers.

Of course, the biggest question surrounding this move is how long Mabiala can sustain quality reps. The Timbers were already the oldest team in MLS heading into last season, and that hasn’t changed much since then.

Mabiala’s return was one of the club’s biggest objectives entering this offseason, but General Manager Gavin Wilkinson & Co. are not done.

Later this morning, the club also made an announcement about Jorge Villafaña, who has been traded to the Los Angeles Galaxy for a 2021 MLS SuperDraft first-round pick swap and potential allocation money.

The Villafaña news was first reported by ESPN’s Jeff Carlisle back in December, but it wasn’t official until today. His departure comes on the heels of a promising new left-back signing—23-year-old Claudio Bravo from Banfield in Argentina—who will require immediate playing time. You can read my breakdown of the Bravo move here.

As a 31-year-old making over $600,000, it makes perfect sense for the Timbers to move Villafaña right now. As much as I loved watching him play and will miss his presence on and off the field, this is a good idea from the front office.

With Marco Farfan, Julio Cascante, Chris Duvall, and now Jorge Villafaña all gone, Portland still has some more pieces to fit together along the back line. Bravo is coming in and Wilkinson has indicated he wants to use a Young Designated Player slot on a center back.

As of right now, Portland’s defensive roster looks like this:

  • Pablo Bonilla (21 years old, right back)

  • Claudio Bravo (23, LB)

  • Larrys Mabiala (33, CB)

  • Zac McGraw (23, CB)

  • Bill Tuiloma (25, CB)

  • Dario Župarić (28, CB)

Expect that Young Money CB and probably a cheap outside back or two before the season begins.

Speaking of the season beginning, there’s still a massive elephant in the room at MLS HQ: the Collective Bargaining Agreement. In short, the league used a force majeure to re-negotiate this year’s CBA because of the pandemic.

Maybe I’m too optimistic, but I expect both sides to get things sorted out so the season can start on time in March. Still something to keep your eye on.

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Portland Timbers

Claudio Bravo: What to know about Portland’s newest signing

by Kevin Nesgoda
written by Kevin Nesgoda

The Portland Timbers have officially signed Argentine left back Claudio Nicolas Bravo from Banfield in Argentina. The transfer was first reported by Leonel Cerrudo back on October 3rd, and rumored again by Jeff Carlisle on December 3rd.


Image via Portland Timbers

Image via Portland Timbers

Transfer Fee

No official transfer fee was released, but the deal was definitely made using Targeted Allocation Money.

Carlisle’s reported “a transfer fee of $1 million with payments spread out over four years for 80% of Bravo’s rights,” but new reports are saying $1.5 million for 50%. This would be a downgrade in value from the initial reports, but still good value for a player that has the second-highest market value at his position in Argentina, according to Transfermarkt ($2.64 million).

Experience

The 23-year-old Bravo has recorded four assists in 56 first-team starts for Banfield over numerous competitions, including the Copa Sudamericana. He has 43 total appearances in Argentina’s Superliga, 41 of which were starts.

Bravo has also made eight appearances for Argentina’s U-23 National Team, six of which were in important CONMEBOL Olympic Qualification matches.

Overall, Bravo certainly has the first-team experience to make an instant impact in Portland.

How he fits in

Portland have already exported Homegrown talent Marco Farfan to LAFC, and are reportedly looking to do the same with veteran starter-incumbent Jorge Villafaña.

General Manager Gavin WIlkinson called his expectations of Bravo “extremely high,” continuing that “we are confident he will be a very effective and dominant left back in our league.”

Head Coach Giovanni Savarese: “His skillset is a very good balance of offense and defense at his position.”

Analytics sites and scouts seem to agree. SofaScore.com lists Bravo’s strengh as “ball control,” while his weaknesses as “discipline, error proneness, and passing.” Similarly, Whoscored.com gives him a “very strong” rating in dribbling, with other strengths in blocking, intercepting, and concentration.

On-field capabilities may remind fans of Jorge Moreira, another attack-minded outside back who was sometimes caught out of position. Bravo, though, seems like a more capable tackler and all-around defender.

There’s not much public tape on Bravo, but this video is a good indicator of his skillset. I expect the Villafaña transfer to happen and Bravo to be the bonafide starter come March.

As a general update, I’m currently constructing a massive offseason evaluation of the club, including player profiles for every incoming, departing, and current player.

P.S. — There are rumblings of the Double Post Pod returning in full. Stay tuned here for updates and follow me on Twitter at @folkestad3 and @doublepostpod!

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