It is a tough task to rebuild the Portland Timbers ahead of another contested 2025 campaign

Evander Should be an absolute priority for the Portland Timbers to sign him and see his return to Rose City

At least for manager Phil Neville, having an open wallet to bring the desired players to Rose City is somehow endless, which means that the men have some clout over team owner Merritt Paulson to build an all-around contender.

According to MLS.com writer Joseph Lowery, various teams have expressed their needs as they prepare for another competitive season in Major League Soccer. In 2025, many teams are expected to make significant efforts to enhance their chances of securing a postseason spot.

As time doesn’t have any limits the team needs to prioritize its defensive game as last season, the Timbers had some issues with some of its defensive backfield and is in much need of improving its backfield.

The team has been hearing some rumors about potential player signings for Rose City. However, they remain just rumors for now. The Timbers, Shakhtar Donetsk, and Lens are in discussions to sign Kevin Kelsy, a forward from Venezuela. Additionally, there are unconfirmed rumors about David Costa a Portuguese from Lens potentially joining Portland, along with a player named Eric from Atlético Paranaense. For now, they are simply speculation.

Claudio Bravo, Miguel Araujo, and Dario Zuparic need to move to another team, as their 2024 season was not one of their best. Bravo and Araujo also do not appear on my list of great defenders.

Who am I to say who is in or out? I just want to share my thoughts about Timbers football. However, some improvements are a priority for the club to address before the 2025 season, especially with spring training approaching quickly.

The ball is in the Portland Timbers’ court and by enlightening the roster this team can move on and put behind that embarrassing 5-0 loss to the Vancouver Whitecaps in the knockout round of the 2024 postseason.

Defense wins games, Mr. Paulson. While our starting eleven has a strong attack, developing a solid defensive strategy is essential for this club’s long-term success and many seasons to come.

One of the primary concerns for the club is to resolve the ongoing contract dispute between Evander and the organization. During his time with the team, the player from Rio has made significant contributions, by contributing and the team scoring a total of 34 goals by providing 19 assists.

Things don’t look assuring, and hopefully, Ned Grabavoy steps up his game and scores a triumph for the Rose City with a new contract for Evander, making this player an important asset to Rip City.

In the SuperDraft, the Portland Timbers selected two players: one defender Ian Smith from the University of Denver with the fourteenth pick, and goalkeeper Lukas Burns from Providence University with the seventy-fourth overall pick.

The arrival of Ariel Lassiter a winger, but placed as a forward somehow reminds me of Marvin Loria as I was very disillusioned with this player and in the end he became a bust, hopefully, Lassiter can deliver and become an important part of the Rose City attack.

My conclusion is that the Timbers front office needs to step up and provide some positive news in the coming days. They should focus on retaining Evander, strengthening the defensive backfield, and constructing a unique contender.