The Portland Timbers came up just short of another MLS Cup in 2018 ... what will 2019 have in store for the Timbers?
The club open the season with 12 consecutive road games as Providence Park undergoes renovations, meaning the second half of their season will be home-heavy. Diego Valeri and Diego Chara turn 33 this season but don't look like they're slowing down anytime soon.
Star players
Key acquisitions and departures
- IN: Claude Dielna
- IN: Jorge Moreira
- OUT: Lawrence Olum
- OUT: Alvas Powell
- OUT: Liam Ridgewell
Projected Starting XI
Team strengths and weaknesses
- Strength: Against many teams you could argue they'll have the three best players on the field in Diego Valeri, Diego Chara and Sebastian Blanco. That is a very nice foundation of talent.
- Weakness: Through long stretches of 2018 the defense looked and felt like it was hanging on by a thread, and on raw talent going from Liam Ridgewell to Claude Dielna/Julio Cascante is a downgrade.
Predictions
- Ben Baer: 5th in West
- Calen Carr: 1st in West
- Charlie Davies: 7th in West
- Matt Doyle: 7th in West
- Bobby Warshaw: 9th in West
- Andrew Wiebe: 5th in West
