Portland Timbers 2025 Season Preview

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Major League Soccer

·17 February 2025

By MLSsoccer staff

Strength: Forty-five goals and 32 assists between their three star attackers last year. Add in another 12g/20a from their two young(ish) wingers and you can’t say that the guys who were paid to win matches came up short. Nobody in MLS – not even Inter Miami – got more production from their top-end players.
Weakness: That lasted until the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs, when they lost 5-0 at home. The best of their top-end players (Evander) demanded a trade or transfer basically immediately after that game, and he just got it. It’s pretty easy to spot where regression is likely.

Evander: The Timbers' club-record signing was traded to Cincinnati for an MLS trade-record $12 million plus incentives, one season removed from providing 34 goal contributions (15g/19a).
Eryk Williamson: After six seasons with Portland, the versatile midfielder was dealt to Charlotte for up to $350k GAM.

David Da Costa: Arriving from Ligue 1 side RC Lens for reportedly around $6 million, Da Costa is Portland's Evander replacement. He'll slot into the No. 10 role.
Jimer Fory: A Colombian youth international defender, Fory was acquired from Independiente Medellín in his country’s top flight.
Kevin Kelsy: The Venezuelan striker moves to Portland from Shakhtar Donetsk. Kelsy was on loan at FC Cincinnati last season, scoring six goals in 29 all-competition matches.
Joao Ortiz: The presumptive heir apparent to the legendary Diego Chara, the Ecuadorian international midfielder arrives from Independiente del Valle in his home country.
Full roster