Football Season Guide

Despite boasting the fourth best attack in the Western Conference, Portland expected more from their forwards, as they narrowly missed out on playoff qualification. The Timbers finished eighth in the table after recording more draws than any other team in the West. Portland offloaded a few squad players but kept all first-choice men bar starting centre-back Bill Tuiloma, whose spot in the first XI is expected to be occupied by a solid Zac McGraw. Meanwhile, they did sign promising midfielder Evander from Danish club Midtjylland in what has been a club-record transfer. For the last three years, Portland have avoided losing important players, adding just a few key pieces to their roster every now and then, as they mainly rely in squad consistency. Their fans should be excited to see new signing Evander in action, as the Brazilian midfielder registered 28 goal contributions in 2021/22 for Midtjylland. Following Evander’s arrival, Portland can brag that they have one of the most talented MLS midfields, one which also includes Santiago Moreno, captain Diego Chara and Yimmi Chara. Portland have no major weaknesses, apart from an average defence, with both full-backs Claudio Bravo and Juan Mosquera struggling to defend in space.