Portland Timbers-New England Revolution Preview (7/5)

The long-awaited return of the coach who won the big one and the goalkeeper who fell from grace.

Last weekend’s catastrophic loss in Toronto needs to be rectified. It’s time for the Timbers to return home, and some familiar faces are waiting.

The Revolution Report

Although the Timbers and Revolution last faced each other to open the 2022 season (a 2-2 draw that featured a bicycle kick from Yimmi Chara), the recent history of the soccer team from Foxborough begins with Bruce Arena’s resignation in September 2023. The Revolution were fighting for a playoff spot, and the reasons behind Arena’s departure are still being kept from the general public. Either way, assistant coach Richie Williams took charge and the Revolution immediately experienced a downturn in form that ended with an embarrassing first-round exit at the hands of the Philadelphia Union. To replace Arena, who guided New England to a Supporters’ Shield and single-season points record (since broken) in 2021, the Revolution’s brain trust turned to a coach with a history of winning trophies. I’m talking, of course, about Caleb Porter.

Prior to taking charge of New England, Porter had 2 managerial stints in MLS with the Portland Timbers (2013-2017) and the Columbus Crew (2018-2022). Both of these tenures had two things in common. First of all, both teams won MLS Cup in the 3rd year of Porter’s reign. However, by year 5, he had completely worn out his welcome and a change was needed. This is what I refer to as the “Caleb Porter Cycle.” In Year 3, he is guaranteed to win MLS Cup. But by Year 5, he will completely wear out his welcome. Right now, this is Porter’s second year in charge of the Revolution. I know who I’m picking to win MLS Cup next year.

2024 was a tough year for New England. The Revolution finished with a goal differential of -37, which was tied for the lowest in the league with Spoon-winners San Jose. They ended the season with 31 points, which kept them off the bottom of the Eastern Conference by a single point. With calls coming from the fanbase for Porter’s sacking, the front office decided to double down. And by double down, I mean back their coach to a jaw-dropping degree.

I’ve previously discussed San Jose’s transformative winter transfer window in depth on this website. Only one other team could match that level of roster turnover, and that team was the New England Revolution. Let’s begin with the players who were out of contract in alphabetical order. Xavier Arreaga, Joshua Bolma, Dylan Borrero, Nacho Gil, Nick Lima, Tommy McNamara, Jonathan Mensah, Tim Parker, Damian Rivera, Ryan Spaulding, and Bobby Wood all departed the club. Four players (Ian Harkes, Mark-Anthony Kaye, Dave Romney, and Earl Edwards Jr.) were traded to San Jose and reunited with Arena. Noel Buck was also traded to San Jose, but his departure came in late April rather than December. Another talented youngster (Esmir Bajrakteravic) was sold to PSV Eindhoven in January. Two more players (Emmanuel Boateng and Giacomo Vrioni) were traded to other MLS clubs (San Diego and Montreal, respectively). In total, NINETEEN players left the club during the winter window. That’s some serious roster turnover.

To replace the eye-watering list of departures, the Revolution turned to all possible areas of player acquisition. This includes four international arrivals (Mamadou Fofana, Brayan Ceballos, Ignatius Ganago, and Ilay Feingold), one domestic cashfer (Leo Campana), seven free transfers (Jackson Yueill, Alex Bono, Tanner Beason, Luis Diaz, Allan Oyirwoth, Wyatt Omsberg, and Maxi Urruti), one SuperDraft pick (Donovan Parisian), one MLS NEXTPRO signing (Keegan Hughes), and two homegrown first-team deals (Damario McIntosh and Eric Klein). Surely it would take a while for this much incoming talent to gel on the field.

It took 8 games for the Revolution (6-6-6, 24 points, 11E/20S) to score a goal from open play. After a rough start with only one win in their first six matches, Porter decided to switch up the formation. Since winning 1-0 in Atlanta on April 12th, the Revolution have become a back-three team. Their record since then is 4-5-2. The back three accomplishes three goals for New England: defensive solidity, width from the wingbacks, and a free central role for Carles Gil.

The former MVP is still New England’s best player with 7g/3a in 18 games. Phil Neville called him “the most consistent DP since I started managing in the league” on Thursday. It’s hard to argue with that. No matter how good or bad the Revolution are, Gil is always producing. The defensive solidity provided by the back three is enhanced by Aljaz Ivacic. The former Timbers goalkeeper was picked up by New England following his release in 2024, and is having another career year. So far, Ivacic has 7 clean sheets (4th in MLS) and is saving 74.6% of the shots on target he has faced (6th in MLS). The wingbacks (Feingold and 17-year-old Peyton Miller) provide width and quality service from the wide areas. In addition, the double pivot of Matt Polster and Alhassan Yusuf has been excellent since the back three was implemented. Porter found a system that has been getting the best out of the players he worked so hard to bring in during the winter. Although New England’s table position isn’t great, they have a solid foundation and a true difference-maker in the attack.

NE Injury Report & Projected Starting XI

Chancalay, when healthy, can be a match-winner. Feingold has proven to be the same thing during his first season in MLS. Bono and Ganago aren’t starters, even though Ganago has been competing for a starting place when he’s available for selection.

You could make the case that this is New England’s best XI aside from the (predicted) absences of Feingold and Chancalay. However, Ceballos and Fofana are both on yellow card warnings. My official prediction is Langoni starting in front of a questionable Chancalay, but former Timber Maxi Urruti could start over both. The cult hero striker scored a late equalizer to complete a 3-3 comeback against Colorado last weekend. One more note: the Revolution will be wearing their secondary kits tomorrow, which are green. It usually doesn’t end well for opposition teams wearing green at Providence Park.

The Timbers Report

Given the strength of their opponent, last weekend’s 3-0 loss was the worst result and performance of the season. In order to properly respond, a win is desperately needed. But before we can get into this upcoming game, there’s some news to get into.

A Major Purchase

Earlier this week, the Portland Timbers completed the purchase of the entire complex where their training facility is located. For those who weren’t aware, the current Timbers training facility in Beaverton is a shared space between the team and the Tualatin Hills Parks and Recreation department. It’s one building with a shared parking lot and shared tenants. Now the entire facility belongs to the Timbers, who were previously paying rent to the THPRD each year.

For a price of $25 million, the team now owns the land where the facility is located. Per owner Merritt Paulson, this was a deal that took “four years” to complete. Prior to the season opener against Vancouver, Paulson told a group of reporters to be “on the lookout” for an upcoming announcement related to the training facility in “a couple weeks.” Although the timeline was off, the delayed completion of the deal was due to the need to find a new facility for the THPRD to store their fleet of maintenance vehicles. Beaverton mayor Lacey Beaty was a key figure in the negotiations, and the deal was able to be completed once the new THPRD complex was acquired.

There are three major reasons why MLS franchise valuations continue to rise. The first is based on stability. If a team can’t get relegated, their value won’t decrease. The two other factors relate to property. It seems like there’s a new stadium entering the league every year. Those stadiums (often owned by the club) have significant real estate value. Training facilities are the other driver of value. San Diego, for example, entered the league with a 28-acre complex including 5 soccer fields. Seattle’s recent move to a massive facility at Longacres continued to put pressure on the rest of the league to upgrade their own training grounds. Now it’s Portland’s turn, and this project is going to be the biggest one yet.

I don’t need to list all of the upgrades that will be undertaken over the next year. You can read about them here. However, I would like to talk about the two most mundane changes. The first is a new roof, which is desperately needed and won’t be cheap. Ned Grabavoy highlighted the second in a brief conversation with me on Tuesday: office space. As the team continues to grow, spaces for staff began to become crammed. When you factor in the second team, academy, and all the support staff, Portland’s facility began to feel a little boxed-in. This office space is desperately needed, and Grabavoy was the most excited for all of the new areas dedicated to support staff.

$25 million is just the purchase price for the land, with renovation costs expected to exceed $40 million in total. However, this outlay will not affect Portland’s ability to improve the team from a roster standpoint. The project is expected to be completed in 2026. This is a very good thing for the club to undertake, as the team spends more time in the training facility than they do at Providence Park. Making all the necessary upgrades to the “true home” of the team is always a positive.

A Major Sale

One player who will not see the new upgrades is Claudio Bravo. His transfer to Argentinos Juniors has been finalized for a fee of $900K. Portland’s current international sale record is held by Jorge Villafana, whose 2015 transfer to Santos Laguna fetched the Timbers $995K. The exact fee for Bravo hasn’t been reported, but it’s estimated to be higher than $900K without topping Villafana’s $995K. Ironically, Portland’s 3rd-highest international transfer was the 1981 sale of Willie Donachie to Norwich for $221K ($781K adjusted for inflation). All three of those players were left backs.

I already touched on the roster impact of Bravo’s transfer in a previous article, so I’ll use this space to talk about the player himself. During his time in Portland, Claudio Bravo was the Timbers’ X-Factor, for better or worse. As a result, he was either loved or hated with no middle ground in between. I’d like to think I occupied that middle ground after two excellent seasons in 2021 and 2022 led to a fall-off in 2023 and 2024. Those 2021 and 2022 seasons were outstanding, as Bravo’s immediate adaptation to MLS helped the Timbers reach MLS Cup (where he had an excellent performance). In 2022, he made the most tackles out of any player in the league. But in 2023 and 2024, his flaws were on display more often than his brilliance.

He became the X-Factor because a good Bravo game usually resulted in a win while a bad Bravo game usually resulted in a loss. Those losses bordered on catastrophic, with the 5-0 disaster in Houston and the 5-0 Wild Card loss standing out. Sometimes, those parameters would shift, like the 3-1 Leagues Cup defeat in St. Louis which featured Bravo scoring his only goal from outside the box in a Timbers shirt despite countless attempts throughout his tenure. Entering the 2024 offseason, it became clear that he needed serious competition at the left back spot, and Jimer Fory’s arrival took away his starting job.

This is a good deal for both the club and the player. Portland gets a large salary off the books and a good fee, while Bravo gets a chance to return home and get regular minutes. Ian Smith, Kamal Miller, Eric Miller, Sawyer Jura, and Blake Pope are all available to fill the minutes that he would’ve gotten in 2025. Portland’s resident maverick has departed, and I’d like to thank him for his service. At times, it’s been hard, but it has always been a pleasure to watch a player who didn’t talk much but always worked hard.

PTFC Injury Report & Projected Starting XI

Omir Fernandez does not carry an injury designation, which is very good news. Jimer Fory is suspended for yellow card accumulation. Kamal Miller is on a yellow card warning.

Here’s where things get interesting. The back three (which I’m 90% confident in) should consist of Miller, Surman, and Zuparic. Smith and Mosquera will be the wingbacks. But the rest of the team, aside from Ayala and Da Costa, is pretty much up for grabs. Does Neville opt for a 2-striker look again? Although I’d like to see it in a more structurally sound system, I think the lone striker returns. Ortiz hasn’t gotten a start since June 8th. But the real questions start when the goalkeeper position comes into play. Pantemis has made two high-profile errors in his last two starts, and Crepeau is back from the Gold Cup. It wouldn’t shock me at all to see Crepeau in between the sticks from the opening whistle.

Tactical Preview

Man-For-Man

Both teams should be lined up in a back three, so it presents a good opportunity for each side to properly match up with each other. Although the forward configurations might be different, the midfield battle will be 2v2 and each wing will be 1v1 with a supporting center back. Winning these individual battles will be key to the match, particularly the Smith vs. Feingold matchup on Portland’s left.

This “man-for-man” mentality also holds true on set pieces. The putrid attack stole all the headlines last weekend, but Portland also conceded their first goal from a corner kick all season. And it was a 2024 classic, with the team failing to react on a secondary action. Let me be more clear: a “secondary action” usually constitutes the play after the play. This can include second balls, deflected shots, and loose balls in the box (as demonstrated by Toronto’s second goal). I’m not too worried about those problems continuing to pop up, but the attacking side of set pieces is still a big work in progress.

Consistent delivery has been a problem, but I’m BEGGING for more routines like the play that delivered a winning goal against St. Louis. Scheming free headers or flick-ons should be a primary focus each week as the attack keeps getting whittled down to bare bones.

Crashing the Box

That “bare-boned” attack could still be productive though. As the Timbers prepare to operate in a back three, the main focus becomes occupying New England’s box. This has been a consistent issue throughout the season regardless of the personnel. Portland hasn’t been lacking for service, with players like Jimer Fory, Mosquera, and Smith providing quality delivery from wide areas. But there are never enough players in the box to get on the end of those deliveries. The triumvirate of forwards (whichever combination Neville deems necessary for this game) will HAVE to get into the box and challenge for these dangerous crosses.

This does bring some slight trepidation if the Timbers decide to start two 10s (Da Costa and Moreno) underneath a single striker. Neither of Portland’s attacking midfielders are particularly known for their ability to crash the box. Although neither of them provide a genuine aerial threat, they should be able to make runs to get on the end of low crosses. Simply put: the Timbers won’t score goals unless they are crashing the box. Maybe they could mix in some shots from outside the box as well! It’s a constant point of emphasis that I’m getting tired of talking about. Maybe this is the game where they take the handbrake off.

Matchday Info

Announcer Analytics

English: Jake Zivin & Ross Smith (hell yeah)

Spanish: Sergio Ruiz & Walter Roque

Home radio broadcast from 750 The Game: available on Apple TV

Broadcast platform: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV

Kickoff time: 7:30 PM PST

Referee Report

Jon Freemon’s 2025 stats: 12 games, 24.5 fouls/game, 0.17 penalties/game, 4.67 yellows/game, 0.08 reds/game

Last Timbers game officiated: July 8th, 2024 vs. NSH 4-1 W

Series History

Historical record: 2-8-1, +4 goal differential

Home record: 2-4-0, +5 goal differential

Current streak: 8 unbeaten

Current home streak: 6 unbeaten

Table Time

The gap is getting smaller, and the Timbers need to keep winning games in order to hold onto a top-four spot. A loss could see them fall as low as 6th. Simple as that.

Final Whistle

This week in Timberland has been dominated by news about the past and future. A long-time starter departed and the plans for a training facility upgrade were announced. But no time is more important than the present.

And at this moment, the present is being dominated by a table tennis tournament. Players and coaches faced off across the table this week, with various shouts and cheers echoing throughout the training facility on Thursday. Phil Neville specifically mentioned a 21-7 drubbing he handed Santiago Moreno. Juan Mosquera noted that Liam Ridgewell eliminated him from the tournament this week. More updates from this will come next week, but there’s a larger point to make.

It’s clear that the Timbers’ locker room has built up a fair amount of camaraderie and togetherness. Mosquera described it as a “family” on Thursday. However, that power of friendship doesn’t always translate to the field. Miscommunications and indecisiveness continue to plague this team. A win is always the most necessary result, but they’re still searching for a complete performance that this team and fanbase can be proud of. And there’s no better time to do it than when a former head coach, former goalkeeper, and former cult hero come to town. The climb continues.