The Portland Timbers MLS era will see it’s third permanent manager coach his first match this Sunday, as the Timbers travel to Los Angeles to take on the Galaxy with a 7:00 kickoff.
Giovanni Savarese is the third permanent manager the Timbers have seen since entering MLS in 2011. John Spencer managed the Timbers for the first 1 1/2 seasons, with Gavin Wilkinson taking over as interim manager for the remainder of the 2012 season after Spencer was dismissed. Caleb Porter coached the Timbers for the next five seasons including winning two Western Conference titles and winning MLS Cup in 2015 before stepping down unexpectedly at the conclusion of the 2017 season.
Savarese played in MLS from 1996 to 2000 with the NY/NJ Metrostars, New England Revolution, and San Jose Earthquakes and has been the manager of the New York Cosmos (NASL, US second division) for the past five seasons, winning the league title in 2013, 2015, and 2016.
Along with the new manager, the Timbers see some new faces this year, with the key acquisitions appearing to be outside midfielder Andy Polo, defender Julio Cascante, and striker Samuel Armenteros who has been excellent in preseason. Forward Fanendo Adi also appears to be healthy once again. Of course the key loss in the offseason was Darlington Nagbe, who left for Atlanta, and it remains to see who will fill that slot, though it’s likely that it will be Polo and Sebastian Blanco in some combination.
Previews:
2018 Season Preview | Breaking down the strong depth of the Portland Timbers
Armchair Analyst: More punch in Portland | #MLSIsBack in 9 Days
