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Portland Timbers

Timbers re-sign Sebastian Blanco through 2023

by Charlie Folkestad
written by Charlie Folkestad

The Portland Timbers have re-signed midfielder Sebastian Blanco to a Designated Player deal through the 2023 season, the club announced today.

MLSsoccer.com’s Tom Bogert first reported the news on Feb. 8th.

Last week, Bogert reported that Blanco’s deal would be in the Targeted Allocation Money range, giving Portland an open DP spot. But Blanco will stay a DP after all.

This followed reports of Blanco’s re-signing from ESPN’s Jeff Carlisle the day before.

Blanco, 33, has 42 goals and 38 assists in 148 career matches for Portland in all competitions. He finished 2021 with 0.53 goals per 90 minutes (96th percentile among MLS attacking mids), 0.46 assists/90 (98th percentile), and 0.92 goal-creating actions/90 (99th percentile) after coming off a torn ACL in 2020.

After joining Portland as a Designated Player in 2017, Blanco immediately helped the Timbers to a first-place finish in the Western Conference. Portland finished as MLS Cup runners-up in 2018 and have made the MLS Cup Playoffs during each of Blanco’s five seasons.

Blanco being a DP under the maximum budget charge ($1,612,500) allows Portland to keep all three under-22 spots. The Timbers already have two under-22 signings on their roster (Santiago Moreno and David Ayala).

Had Portland used their third DP slot on a player 23 or older who makes more than the max, they would only get one U-22 spot.

For reference, there are only 34 players in MLS who made more than the $1.625 million max in guaranteed compensation last year.

The re-signing of Blanco was a top priority for the club this offseason, especially after the departure of club legend and fellow Argentine Diego Valeri to Lanús. Blanco was linked to Boca Juniors after rumors went back and forth about his future in Portland.

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Portland Timbers

Rumor: Sebastian Giovinco to Portland?

by Charlie Folkestad
written by Charlie Folkestad

The Portland Timbers are interested in former MLS MVP Sebastian Giovinco, per Gianluca Di Marzio of Sky Sports.

“A concrete negotiation could start soon,” the translated article reads.

Giovinco, who will turn 35 later this month, spent his last two seasons at Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia. His contract reached a mutual termination last August.

Giovinco in MLS

Giovinco shined in MLS after leaving Juventus for Toronto FC.

The attacking midfielder burst onto the scene in 2015, winning MLS MVP, MLS Newcomer of the Year, and the MLS Golden Boot. He also led the Reds to a Canadian treble (MLS Cup, Supporters’ Shield, Canadian Cup) in 2016.

The Italian played 142 matches for Toronto FC across all competitions from 2015-18, bagging 83 goals and 57 assists during that span. He is considered a TFC club legend and was named one of MLS’ top 25 players of all-time last season.

MLS interest

The former Juventus player has been flirting with an MLS return for a while now.

Last month, he expressed interest in returning to Toronto during an exclusive interview with Laura Armstrong of the Toronto Star. He even attended a TFC match. However, Toronto signed Serie A star Lorenzo Insigne instead.

The former Juventus player was also linked to the Los Angeles Galaxy about a year ago.

Timbers’ need

From a roster standpoint, this makes sense. The Timbers may need to fill a playmaking midfield spot soon, unless they can re-sign Sebastián Blanco. Portland are set to lose Diego Valeri from the same position as well.

The Timbers have one Designated Player roster spot open without Blanco. Giovinco wanted to be a DP in a Toronto return.

Blanco removed the Timbers from his Instagram bio yesterday amid a lengthy offseason negotiation saga.

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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

Timbers lose MLS Cup to NYCFC in penalties

by Charlie Folkestad
written by Charlie Folkestad

Felipe Mora had an exhausting day.

Mora scored the latest regulation goal in MLS Cup history (94th minute) and then missed his penalty after extra time.

It had to be either a storybook ending or beyond bitter for Portland. There was no in between.

Providence Park’s first-ever MLS Cup final could have been the crown jewel for the Timbers.

But “could have been” will be the moral of this story forever.

Wind and rain assaulted the stadium and its fans throughout. The tension on the field reflected such.

Referee Armando Villareal was letting a lot go. Somehow the first half was clear of cards despite aggression from both teams.

Portland threw everything they had at NYCFC for the final chunk of the match. It paid off.

The visitors played a better game in the first half. MLS Golden Boot winner Taty Castellanos had four chances in the opening 45, capitalizing on a free header at the back post to make it 1-0 in the 41st minute.

Sebastián Blanco returned to the starting XI after missing last match with a thigh injury. He was listed as “questionable” on the injury report.

Dairon Asprilla returned to the wing and George Fochive replaced Cristhian Paredes at holding midfield. Paredes picked up a knock in training prior to the match but substituted on in the second half.

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Seattle Sounders

Cascadia Clash ends with the Timbers on Top

by Michael Martinez
written by Michael Martinez

It was another beautiful Pacific Northwest night as the Seattle Sounders took on the Portland Timbers again in another Cascadia Cup clash. Last time out, fans saw an absolute beating from the Sounders as they topped their rivals 6-2 at Providence Park. Every match between these two is always a fun battle, so it was interesting to see who would come out on top this time.

Unfortunately for Sounders fans, the Timbers would get their revenge in the end. Thanks to horrible luck, poor finishing, and the post, the score would end 0-2 favor the visiting Timbers. So while the Sounders are still at the top of the table, things are potentially looking problematic for the would-be champions.

Lineups: 

Seattle Sounders: 5-2-2-1

Portland Timbers: 4-3-2-1

Match Report

“We are going to try and push past it. We have to. The team is not going to sit back and dwell on that.”

The setting was beautiful for this Cascadia Cup clash with the Portland Timbers. The prematch festivities were grand; Reign beat the Thorns, tributes for Jimi Hendrix and his family, and record-setting crowds in the stadium. Everything was setting up a potential Sounders win. So, what happened? 

The match started with the usual intensity you would expect with a Cascadia rivalry game. However, it looked like it could have gone either way. The Timbers began with the match’s first chance six minutes in as Dairon Asprilla lets off a wicked shot off the crossbar but ultimately leads to nothing. 

Only minutes later, tragedy struck the Timbers as defender Eryk Williamson suffered an ACL tear after getting his feet caught in the turf. From there, there was not much else that happened the rest of the half. A couple of decent chances for either team, but it was far from a dull fest. 

The second half was a bit of a different story. The Sounders came out ready to fight, but the Timbers came out wanting it. 

Overall, the Sounder’s defense, especially Xavi, was playing well. That was until the Timbers got their first goal after a disastrous back-pass from Yeimar. After that, Cleveland had no good choices to make as Blanco finished off a pass from Mora into an empty net to give Portland the lead in the 58th minute. 

That was when the Sounders turned it on. Seattle took control of the half and had a couple of great chances courtesy of Shane O’Neil and Raul in the 61st and 86th minutes. Unfortunately, O’Neil’s header hit off the post, and Clark stopped Raul’s rocket of a shot. Things were not going their way all night. 

Caught sleeping once again, the defense and Yeimar left Clevland alone with Mora. Cleveland came out to win a ball in the air but misjudged the bounce. As a result, Mora was able to gain control and chip the goalkeeper to double Portland’s lead in the dying minutes of the game. 

Post Match Thoughts

Sounders centerback, Yeimar, clears the ball despite a Timbers push in the first half of this Cascadia Cup clash.

Image via Max Aquino

While the Sounders created decent chances, their overall performance was relatively poor for significant game stretches. Considering their usual standard, this was a poor result. Seattle struggled to connect passes, and players seemed to show an uncharacteristic lack of familiarity. 

This loss feels like quite the letdown after coming off of an exceptional three games away from home. To add to the frustration, Lumen Field was the fullest it’s been since Seattle hosted the 2019 MLS Cup Final, and the stadium played host to an OL Reign 2-1 win over the Portland Thorns earlier in the day with over 27,000 in attendance to make history and set an NWSL record.

The Sounders won the Cascadia Cup series thanks to two wins earlier in the season at Providence Park, but the loss tonight continues a strange trend. You have to go back to May  2017 to find Seattle’s last regular-season win at home against the rags. They’ve had five such successes at Providence Park in that time. It almost certainly doesn’t mean anything, but that won’t make anyone feel better about it. For now, it’s just an oddity.

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Portland Timbers

Wounded Timbers take all three points in San Jose

by Charlie Folkestad
written by Charlie Folkestad

The Portland Timbers (2-3-0, 6 pts, 9th in West) defeated the San Jose Earthquakes (3-3-0, 9 pts, 4th in West) 2-0 at PayPal Park in San Jose, CA on Saturday, May 15th, 2021. 

Eryk Williamson assisted both goals while squaring off with San Jose’s Jackson Yueill in midfield. Yueill was selected over Williamson for the U.S. Men’s National Team U23 squad that missed out on the Olympics a few months ago.

Portland’s newest goalkeeper, Logan Ketterer, made a massive penalty save to keep Portland’s lead intact, and the Timbers would go on to win the match 2-0. 

With nine players on the injured reserve list, Timbers Head Coach Giovanni Savarese elected to “park the bus” and look for counterattacking opportunities in this match. You can be the judge how that worked out. 

Match Recap

The opening few minutes started with a jolt. San Jose maintained most of the possession—as they would for the rest of the match—but a high press by Portland forced a turnover, which Eryk Williamson expertly weaved into a chance. As he popped the ball through to Yimmi Chará, Williamson got decked at the edge of the box. Referee Rosendo Mendoza called an advantage, but it was not needed. 

Yimmi Chará’s first goal in 2021 MLS play took the pressure off Portland mentally, but not physically. San Jose would work the ball around Portland’s half relentlessly, as the Timbers relied on counterattacks and the occasional high pressure to shake the Quakes off the ball. 

One such counter came in the 30′, as Portland pushed for a corner that nearly led to a headed Dario Župarić goal—his shot kissed off the post. On the other end, a nervous moment for Logan Ketterer reminded the Timbers that the match was still very close. 

Second Half

The Timbers leapt out to a quick start again in the second half, with Andy Polo nearly assisting Felipe Mora merely seconds into the half. His shot missed wide right, but it was a good sign for the Timbers. 

That chance would be one of many for Portland in the first 15 minutes of the second period. Mora himself had a chance from his head (51′, blocked by defender) and his feet (55′, saved incredibly by J.T. Marcinkowski) before Bill Tuiloma had a header go wide. 

While the Quakes started breaking Portland’s front line, the chances continued. Pablo Bonilla had maybe the best of the second half, as his beautiful one-two with Mora gave him a decent look at goal in the six yard box. Unfortunately, his left-footed shot was over the bar. 

Just when it seemed like Portland were taking control, disaster struck. Claudio Bravo used his arm to block a Carlos Fierro cross, giving the ageless Chris Wondolowski a chance to level the tie from the spot—but Logan Ketterer rose to the occasion. 

Ketterer, who was brought on as an emergency loanee signing after three Timbers ‘keepers went down with injuries, had an amazing night between the sticks for Portland. In all, he made four saves and one punch—none more important than the penalty stop. 

The missed penalty gave Portland another jolt of confidence. The Timbers kept fighting as San Jose turned up the heat. 

Jeremy Ebobisse’s night ended somewhat conspicuously as he limped off the field after grabbing his calf. Dairon Asprilla had already been slated to come on, and Jebo limped around to the bench in the 68′. 

With Portland needing an insurance goal, Williamson came up big once again. After a bit of offensive pressure from Portland, Williamson whipped in a perfect ball to Marvin Loría, whose header over Marcinkowski gave the Timbers a 2-0 lead with just over 15 minutes to play. 

Andy Polo became an unsung hero from tonight, with a match-high four chances created despite having zero assists to his name. He would be replaced by Renzo Zambrano in the 72′. 

Diego Valeri, Jose Van Rankin, and Zac McGraw would make appearances in the 82′, replacing Mora, Loría, and Bonilla, respectively. 

San Jose chased a goal with everything they had, but Portland’s defense held firm. The best chance came and went as Benjamin Kikanovic watched his header spin wide of the post in the 93′, but the match was already out of reach. A huge win for Portland in such unlikely fashion will serve the Timbers well as the regular season heats up. 

Takeaways

Timbers fans (including myself) might not have had much faith in the team entering Saturday night, but Gio did. This match threw massive shades of the 2018 playoff run in Savarese’s inaugural season—a tough road win in which, on paper, the Timbers seemed outmatched, turned into a glorious victory as Portland put away enough chances. 

A massive win for the Timbers during an exceptionally-tough period, and counterattacking the way God (I mean, Gio) intended. 

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

As always, RCTID!

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Portland Timbers

Expectations and Predictions: Portland Timbers at San Jose Earthquakes

by Charlie Folkestad
written by Charlie Folkestad

The Portland Timbers (1-3-0, 3 pts, 12th in West) are in San Jose to take on the Earthquakes (3-2-0, 9 pts, 2nd in West) after both teams fell to the first-place Seattle Sounders in the last week. Portland hosted the Sounders on Sunday and fell 2-1, while San Jose hosted on Wednesday and lost 1-0. 

Shaking Things Up

San Jose’s impressive start has been led by the young American duo of Cade Cowell and Jackson Yueill.

Let’s start with Cowell. He is Matias Almeyda’s new center forward (after the departure of Danny Hoesen to Austin and the aging of Chris Wondolowski), but nothing is so straightforward with Almeyda. His man-marking system isn’t as intense as it once was, but it still requires constant awareness and movement from every Earthquake. Enter Cowell, who at 17 years old has the energy to contribute on offense and defense. He’s scored twice and assisted thrice in five matches, but his defensive numbers may be even more impressive. 

Cowell grades out near the top of most statistical comparisons for MLS forwards, including the 96th percentile for tackles + interceptions and the 96th percentile for tackles in the defensive third. Check out his full Football Reference Scouting Report to see all of his glittering green bars. 

Yueill, a defensive midfielder who was part of the U-23 U.S. Men’s National Team that ultimately failed to qualify for the Olympics, has been the glue in the center of San Jose’s 4-3-3 so far this season. He scored twice against DC United and grades out well as a high-volume passer. 

The Quakes enter this match scoring two goals per game (T-2nd in MLS). Their three wins (Houston, DC United, and Real Salt Lake) have included some memorable goals, including Yueill’s stunner against DC and the immortal Wondo coming onto score a brace for a comeback win in Utah. 

Short-staffed in Stumptown

Overall, this is not the time Portland want to be playing San Jose (or really anyone, for that matter). The Timbers are perhaps the most banged-up team in MLS, with an injury list so long I had to double-check it. 

There are five starters on this list, not including second- and third-string goalkeepers. After Jeff Attinella and Larrys Mabiala left Sunday’s game against Seattle with injuries, the news only got worse. Giovanni Savarese confirmed this week that Diego Chará, the man historically most critical to Portland’s success, also strained a hamstring. (His backup, Cristhian Paredes, is still out for an extended period.) 

The Timbers added a goalkeeper to the roster on Thursday, signing Logan Ketterer to a loan deal from USL-Championship side El Paso Locomotive FC. With 19-year-old Hunter Sulte as the only healthy goalie on the roster, this makes a ton of sense. Ketterer was actually one of the best ‘keepers in the USL-C last season, ranking first in regular season clean sheets (8 in 16 matches) and fifth in save percentage (78.3%).

Not to mention Sulte has had one of the rudest introductions to a pro career one could ask for: a four-goal thrashing in Dallas with a C-team lineup and a second-half-substitute appearance while losing to your bitter rival (which so happens to be the best team in the league). The goals he’s given up haven’t even necessarily been his fault, but that’s just the way it goes. 

With all that in mind, here’s my prediction for Portland’s starting XI on Saturday:

The Timbers do have Jeremy Ebobisse back, and I have a hard time thinking that Gio will prefer Dairon Asprilla over JeboOnTheWing™ if the latter is up to full speed. I would not be surprised to see Jebo starting at center forward and Asprilla or Marvin Loría in that winger spot.

Prediction

I’m not feeling very well about this match, and it’s not just because I ate Cheez-Its for breakfast and lunch today. I would applaud a draw, though I understand a loss is very likely. The only silver lining is that this will be San Jose’s third match in a week, but I still expect them to be prepared.

Either way, we’ll see, but I’m predicting a 2-1 loss Saturday night. 

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Portland TimbersSeattle Sounders

Timbers suffer brutal 2-1 loss to Seattle in Providence Park

by Charlie Folkestad
written by Charlie Folkestad

After a disappointing week that saw the Timbers concede four times to FC Dallas and thrice to Club América, Portland returned home to Providence Park for a date with their bitter rivals, the Seattle Sounders. 

Portland missed chance after chance, including two from the penalty spot, before Seattle put two second-half goals in. Bill Tuiloma’s late free-kick made it close, but not close enough to threaten a result. The match would end 2-1 to the Sounders. 

Match Recap

Portland were without regular starting goalkeeper Steve Clark, as well as would-be starters Sebastián Blanco and Jarosław Niezgoda. Forward Jeremy Ebobisse made his return to the starting XI but would be replaced by Felipe Mora after an hour. Playmaker Nicolas Lodeiro was out for the Sounders, though it hadn’t meant much so far this season. 

Portland were on the front foot in the first half, but missed a series of chances in the 30th to 42nd minutes—and by a “series” I mean four or five half-chances and three more legitimate ones. The worst miss came from Ebobisse in the 40′, slipping as he fired a left-footed shot wide. 

The first major moment of the match came in the 55′ as Ebobisse was brought down by Shane O’Neil in the box for a penalty. Valeri stepped up and had his attempt saved by Frei, but was awarded a second chance after Nouhou encroached and Frei came off his line. 

Valeri’s second attempt offered no added joy for Timbers fans. His penalty smacked off the post and while his rebound went in, it would have required Frei touching it to count. Valeri was immediately subbed off for Dairon Asprilla, and the match continued at 0-0. 

Ebobisse was also replaced by Felipe Mora in the exchange, and Andy Polo would replace Marvin Loría shortly after. 

Portland’s attack struggled mightily without Valeri. His creativity and oversight of attacking combinations usually out Portland in successful positions, but post-60′ the Timbers resorted to getting the ball wide before stalling and losing it. 

Few minutes passed before the deadlock was broken. Ruidiaz stumbled over Tuiloma and Attinella on the other end, culminating in a penalty for the Sounders. Ruidiaz took the pen and slid it to Jeff’s right, opening the scoring in the 62′. 

Not a minute after the ensuing kickoff, disaster would strike once more for Portland. Attinella went down with a non-contact injury after playing the ball with his left foot and needed to be replaced by 19-year-old Hunter Sulte. 

“How many times do you see three goalkeepers going down at the start of the season?” lamented Giovanni Savarese post-match. While he praised Sulte’s performance (one save, 3/5 accurate passes) he also noted that it was an exceptionally tough spot to be put in. 

Ruidiaz nearly drew another penalty in the 76′ and Williamson couldn’t get on the end of a cross at the other end. It would be punished in due time. 

A Seattle free kick from the right side of Portland’s defense found the head of a barely-onside Fredy Montero, who beat Sulte to give Seattle a 2-0 lead in the 79′. 

Halfway through the six minutes of added time, Bill Tuiloma (of all people) blasted a beautiful curling free kick past Stefan Frei. Tuiloma’s fourth goal for the club was his most impressive, but the Timbers couldn’t muster another one. The match ended 2-1 to the visitors in a match that looked like it was Portland’s to lose. 

“You don’t get some things in your favor that you’re supposed to get,” said Gio. “Unfortunately, the score doesn’t show what we gave to the game today.” 

Other Notes

  • Joao Paulo was showing his quality in the middle of the field for Seattle, stopping numerous attacks with well-timed challenges and springing the Sounders forward in the same role Diego Chará has historically played for the Timbers. 
  • Nouhou Tolo and Diego Chará were locked in a battle during the first half, with Chará getting the better of the always-unpredictable Nouhou early. A caution was issued to Nouhou after taking down Diego as he broke away down the right. 
  • Portland’s overall passing play was amazing, building up and transitioning well from defense-to-attack. Now the focus shifts back to finishing chances, a la 2019 pre-Brian Fernández. 

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

As always, RCTID!

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