It has finally happened. A resolution has been reached in the Evander situation. After news broke on Tuesday afternoon about the sale of Luciano Acosta to FC Dallas, the entirety of Portland held their breath. Then, in the span of 3 minutes, one DP #10 left the City of Roses and another one took his place. Evander has been sold to FC Cincinnati for a fee of $12 million plus add-ons. That departure cleared the way for RC Lens attacking midfielder David Pereira da Costa to arrive for a fee of “around $6 million (per Tom Bogert of GIVEMESPORT).”
First, let’s get the hard part out of the way. I did not have $12 million within the “range of acceptability” but, also, it’s 12 million dollars. It is unclear whether or not the “add-ons” include performance bonuses or a sell-on clause, but I hope that a sell-on clause is included in the deal. Either way, there isn’t much else to say about it. As far as I’m concerned, Evander is now Cincinnati’s headache. He did come back to Portland and hold up his end of the bargain. He is now Portland’s record signing and record sale. We’ll check back in on him when the Garys come to Portland on August 16th. For that game, the first 20,000 fans will get a commemorative Diego Chara bobblehead; a player who wanted to be here, still wants to be here, and has stuck around for 15 seasons. You couldn’t have written a funnier script.
However, his replacement is a very intriguing player. Before I get to the numbers, I had the opportunity to delve into his tape from this season. Here are some notes I gathered:
Plays bigger than 5’5”, very physical
Excellent turn and burst, immediate downhill threat
His sprints look effortless
Willing and effective counterpresser
Inconsistent finisher
Very smart off-ball, pass-and-run extraordinaire
Hoppy and skippy
Likes near-post corners
THROUGH BALLS
When playing centrally, loves to drop deep to receive ball, relatively press-resistant (will be very press-resistant in MLS)
Right footed but not afraid to use his left
Gonna draw a ton of fouls in MLS
These are all positive traits that will make the Timbers a more cohesive team. However, his lack of production (goals and assists) is a bit of an issue.
In 14 games for Lens in the 2024/25 season, he has a grand total of 0g/0a. To be fair, this isn’t an immediate indictment of the player. Diego Valeri struggled with Porto before coming to MLS, and Sebastian Blanco’s stint with West Bromwich Albion (had to get a reference in here somewhere) ended with more yellow cards than goal involvements. Based on the film, da Costa’s skillset should be able to translate to MLS. I also feel comfortable saying that da Costa won’t be expected to replace Evander’s otherworldly output in 2024. Very few MLS players can produce a season like that. However, da Costa’s main strength is something that the Timbers seriously struggle with: ball progression.
These numbers are coming from a top-five league. That’s a lot of green with one glaring red line: assists. However, assists aren’t in a player’s control. They can set the table, but it’s up to the finisher to finish. Da Costa will be given a lot more responsibility in Portland to run the show. Based on what he’s done for Lens, I think it moves him closer to the box. Goals and assists will follow.
Da Costa isn’t just limited to playing through the middle. He is equally adept on the left wing. This gives the Timbers more positional flexibility. With reports coming out of Coachella that Jonathan Rodriguez is set to begin the season on the sidelines due to injury, da Costa’s ability on the left could be crucial during the opening stages.
However, there is a lot of concern. Besides the obvious lack of output, da Costa has spent his entire professional career with RC Lens. This is his first time playing for a club that isn’t located in Pas-de-Calais. The initial adaptation period for da Costa will be absolutely crucial. Not only will he have to get acquainted with his new teammates, he will be doing that while settling in a new country and learning a new language. This is a normal process for a lot of footballers, but da Costa will be doing it in a professional capacity for the first time. As a child, he moved to France when he was 9 years old. This is a huge step for him, and supporting him through this process is paramount.
After some initial negativity surrounding this potential transfer, I have since seen the brighter side of what David da Costa can bring to the Portland Timbers. He’s only 24, and can be a centerpiece for years to come. This is not the resolution that everyone wanted. But it is a resolution nonetheless. Da Costa does not have to replace Evander. But he can make the Timbers a better team even if he doesn’t light up the stat sheet. One player who did not want to be in Portland has left, and his replacement is already in Coachella. Now, with the season opener 11 days away, the outside distractions are gone. Soccer is the main focus once again.
So far, the three back system is a big improvement for the defense, which is a good place to start building the team this year. Fory looks like a really good pickup and can play LWB, and presumably Mosquera can on the other side, with Antony or E. Miller as backup. Ayala should start and presumably Ortiz, although I'd like to see a little more from him. I see skill but not a high work rate. Da Costa can play above the other two midfielders or side by side with Ortiz with Ayala underneath. Then you have the two forwards. I'd stick with the three back system, even with Da Costa in the fold as a 10. Phil will be tempted to go back to a 4-2-3-1 because he now has a "10." Based on your report Jeremy, and from what I've seen, he seems like a 8/10 which would work in the 3-5-2 (what they are running now). He can be like a Barella for Inter. I think being a 10 in the 4-2-3-1 would put a lot of pressure on him to produce big numbers and be the guy, whereas the other formation would take the creative load off of him and would cater to his strengths like ball progression and passing in tight areas.
I am struck by how much this seems to be a brand new start for PTFC...
Like 'em or not, the FO has turned this roster in a very new direction, with much more height and speed from the OBs forward. Because of injuries and missing players, Phil is playing 3-back lineups, and seems to have cancelled zonal marking on set pieces, with positive defensive results. And now, Evander's departure (and Jona's/JDMs injuries) signals strongly that PTFC 2025 is gonna start with a pretty different look.
With all our speed there can be high pressing aplenty; Lassiter, Antony, Mora and especially Kelsy really go after guys with the ball at the back and have created lots of turnovers. At the same time, the MF is playing better defense in support of the back line. There are still gaps being exploited along the top of the 18 yd box, but so far we look much more cohesive and defensively plausible.