By Jeff Rueter – SAINT PAUL, MN (Jan 4, 2018) US Soccer Players - In many ways, 2017 was the most eventful year for Major League Soccer thus far. For the first time in nearly a decade, the East was the dominant conference of the two. Trade announcements included the amount of allocation money swapping hands, allowing for more detailed analysis of these moves. Between the Gold Cup and World Cup . . .
Portland’s coaching search
By Jeff Rueter – SAINT PAUL, MN (Dec 7, 2017) US Soccer Players - The Portland Timbers seem to be a team on the cusp of reaching their potential. Joining MLS in 2011, Portland seemed poised to tap into the success their northern neighbors were already having. Promising early returns showed up in fits and starts through their first two seasons. Then, Caleb Porter signed on as head coach in 2013. . . .
Diego Valeri made picking an MLS MVP easy in 2017
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON DC (Dec 6, 2017) US Soccer Players - There’s something extra to Portland Timbers star Diego Valeri winning the 2017 MLS MVP award. It's not just his excellent season with 21 goals and 11 assists while playing in all 34 regular season games. It's his status as one of the league’s most likable characters. Valeri's status in Portland is easy to understand. It's because of . . .
Portland’s MVP
The one thing that could make Diego Valeri's 2017 MLS story even better is if the Portland Timbers were still playing. Valeri won the 2017 MLS MVP award by setting a new standard for an MLS midfielder. As many pointed out before and after the award, Valeri also sets a standard as a person. FourFourTwo's Katelyn Best told that story in October. It's hard not to pick an attacking player as MVP, and . . .
Portland’s Diego Valeri is the 2017 MLS MVP
Portland's Diego Valeri won the 2017 MLS Most Valuable Player award, the league announced on Monday. Valeri scored 21 goals and had 11 assists in a season that saw the Timbers finish top of the Western Conference in the regular season. Valeri set the new record for goals by a midfielder. Valeri took 50.71% of the total vote, beating NYCFC's David Villa's 16.4% in second-place. All-Time MLS Most . . .
Official: Porter resigns as Portland Timbers coach
The Portland Timbers announced on Friday that Caleb Porter is no longer the club's head coach. Porter leaves after winning the Western Conference in 2017 and the 2015 MLS Cup. He was also the 2013 MLS Coach of the Year. “I would like to begin by giving special thanks to my owner and friend Merritt Paulson for providing me with the opportunity to lead the Portland Timbers these past five seasons,” . . .
Caleb Porter leaves Portland
The Portland Timbers unexpectedly landed on the list of MLS teams in search of a coach. The news broke on Thursday night that Caleb Porter is leaving the club. Porter's next stop is an open question, alongside whom the Timbers might hire to replace him. FourFourTwo's Paul Tenorio broke the news of Porter's exit. Porter took the Portland job in 2013, leaving the University of Akron where his squad . . .
Will we get to see Portland vs Seattle?
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON DC (Nov 1, 2017) US Soccer Players - With apologies to the Vancouver Whitecaps and the Houston Dynamo, there’s really no argument that the most intriguing possible matchup for the Western Conference final in this year’s Major League Soccer playoffs is of the Cascadia rivalry variety. The Seattle Sounders and Portland Timbers not only despise each other with the heat . . .
Win for Toronto, draw for Houston and Portland
Toronto FC beat the New York Red Bulls 2-1 on the road to open their MLS Eastern Conference semifinal playoff series. Victor Vasquez put Toronto up in the 8th minute with Daniel Royer equalizing from the penalty spot three minutes into first-half stoppage time. Seb Giovinco won the game with a 72nd minute goal. The series concludes on Sunday at BMO Field (3pm ET - ESPN). "You have to know how to . . .
Weighing the MLS rivalries
By Jason Davis – WASHINGTON, DC (Jun 23, 2017) US Soccer Players - Once again, Major League Soccer has manipulated its schedule to bring us a round of games thick with rivalries. The weekend has a sponsor. The league's marketing department is opening up the throttle in a bid for attention. While MLS is clearly the biggest professional soccer league in the country, it nevertheless struggles to . . .
