After a 4 month offseason, the Portland Timbers’ 2024 season is finally underway. After a rough 2022-23 season, with the Timbers narrowly missing the playoffs, many roster and managerial changes were made. The former coach, Giovanni Savarese, departed halfway through the season and was replaced by interim coach Miles Joseph. Joseph was then replaced during the offseason by Phil Neville, former Manchester United great and England Women manager. This was not without controversy, as he’s come under fire for having an unproven track record and alleged sexist remarks. In addition to new management, Maxime Crepéau has been signed as starting goalkeeper.
Their first regular season match was against the Colorado Rapids on Feb. 24, with a decisive 4-1 victory. James Pantemis played the goalkeeper position as Crepéau was set to make his debut against D.C. United on March 2. Eryk Williamson, whose career with the Timbers has been riddled with injury, scored a goal in the ninth minute, his first in more than 1,000 days. Antony played strong as a forward, scoring a brace in a first half dominated by the Timbers. The Timbers’ fourth goal was an owl goal from the Rapids, cementing the Timbers’ lead. Overall, this victory showed the Timbers looking excellent with hopes high for the rest of the season.
The second match of the season held on March 2 was not as impressive as the previous match. The Timbers started out strong with a 2-0 lead in the early second half, but D.C. caught up in the end to close out with a 2-2 draw. Despite these results, Crepéau played incredibly, with many world-class saves to keep the Timbers in the game. Especially in the second half, the Timbers’ back four could not hold onto the ball or make it upfield, resulting in the burden falling on Crepéau to prevent what could have been disastrous scenarios for the Timbers. Dairon Asprilla and Santiago Moreno both scored one goal, which were both excellent and showed the power of the strong Timbers offense, especially when they are playing their best. Neville seemingly instructed the Timbers to park the bus after the second goal, but ultimately failed due to the weak defensive effort displayed by the back four.
The Timbers are currently at the top of the MLS Western Conference standings, which is an excellent start to the season. News of a potential $15 million signing of forward Germán Berterame of Monterrey has been rumored, but it seems unlikely. If this deal does in fact go through, this would be one of the largest transfer fees in MLS history.
