Already bruised and battered, with the new season hanging on a cliff, the Portland Timbers are ready to play for real.
There are some familiar faces on this year’s lineup, including all four of the all-stars in team history and five players who were around for the inaugural MLS season in 2011. There are also some new faces, from rookies to league veterans to international question marks. The expectation is that this 2015 Timbers team will be a playoff lock and a playoff threat. Without further ado, here they are:
GOALKEEPERS
Adam Larsen Kwarasey
The Expectation: Kwarasey was signed to replace Donovan Ricketts for two big reasons: He’s 10 years younger, and a much more athletic, mobile player. Kwarasey, who started for Ghana against the United States in the World Cup this year, should be in the upper third of MLS goalkeepers.
The Hope: A fast start always helps. This is someone Portland wants in the picture well into the 2020s, and if Kwarasey can make the type of outstanding saves Ricketts made routinely, while adding an aerial presence and smooth play with his feet, the transition will be Gavin Wilkinson and Caleb Porter’s personnel masterstroke.
The Fear: Ricketts was an incredible shot-stopper, and the pressure will be on Kwarasey to match that save-making ability. The Ghanian is aggressive, and one or two blunders might be unavoidable. Make no mistake: This guy has big shoes to fill.
Jake Gleeson
The Expectation: Gleeson was given every chance to win the backup job in camp, but he struggled with injuries and failed to make his mark. The Timbers need Gleeson to start staking his claim as an MLS player. That step is supposed to happen this year.
The Hope: Gleeson was phenomenal for USL side Sacramento FC in their title-winning season last year. He has the natural talent—and we’ve known he’s had it since 2011—to be a very valuable player.
The Fear: Every time Gleeson starts a career ascent, he never quite finishes it. The pressure is on Gleeson to stick as the backup with the first team. If he doesn’t, the Timbers might run out of patience.
Andrew Weber
The Expectation: It was surprising to see Weber retained after a rough end to 2014, but the Timbers have always liked having an experienced backup ‘keeper in the fold, and Weber is cheap.
The Hope: That if Weber fills in, he plays more like he did against Seattle last year than he did in the Champions League, when his blunder ended up costing the Timbers a place in the knockout round.
The Fear: There isn’t much risk with a third-string ‘keeper, but Weber is playing each day in training to stay in the show next year.
DEFENDERS
Alvas Powell
The Expectation: After bringing Powell along through various ups and downs in 2013 and 2014, this is where Portland’s investment in the Jamaican pays off. The Timbers bought Powell outright in the winter, and expect him to be an everyday starter this year.
The Hope: That Powell is lightning in a bottle with his speed and nose for action. Powell had an excellent preseason, and he could be a very valuable player for the Timbers for a long time.
The Fear: Powell is erratic with his decision making, especially early in games, and especially defensively, and he’s generally good for two to three jaw droppingly bad decisions per match. Powell is a gamble if nothing else. High risk, high reward.
Liam Ridgewell
The Expectation: Year two is always miles better than year one for foreign players in MLS, and Ridgewell has certainly taken to Portland since his arrival last July, both with the gregarious nature that is always slightly alarming coming from a Brit, and confident play. He is, for all intents and purposes, the vice-captain, as well as the highest paid player, and an automatic name on the team-sheet. He should be good day in and day out.
The Hope: If Ridgewell and Nat Borchers spark, the Timbers could have one of the best defenses in MLS. There is room for improvement from Ridgewell’s 2014—if he finds it, this team could be awfully tough to score on.
The Fear: Ridgewell can be a bit of wild card on the field. He likes getting forward and challenging players, and he’s prone to momentary lapses in concentration. Day to day, I’d be more worried about him than Borchers defensively this year.
Nat Borchers
The Expectation: Borchers was brought in to, with Ridgewell, settle the center-back position for good. After years of terrific play for competitive Real Salt Lake teams, Borchers chose to come to Portland. He should be a rock for the Timbers.
The Hope: That Borchers is as unfailingly solid and assured as he’s been billed—and that he fits in Portland as well as his beard suggests.
The Fear: Age might be catching up to Borchers. He is 33 and has played for a decade in MLS. Speed could be a problem—RSL didn’t exactly move heaven and earth trying to keep him.
Jorge Villafaña
The Expectation: Villafaña was something of a revelation in the summer of 2014, winning himself a starting job with competent defensive play and a fantastic knack for playing crosses. He should be an automatic starter in 2015.
The Hope: Villafaña gives the Timbers a kind of attacking threat that Michael Harrington never did with his crossing ability, and the more and more confident Villafaña gets, the more and more dangerous he should be going forward.
The Fear: An injury like the knock he picked up last Saturday—there’s precious little behind Villafaña—and that he’s still somewhat unproven defensively.
Jeanderson
The Expectation: Jeanderson was brought in from Brazil to be a backup, and he should improve as he gets acclimated to the US and begins to learn the language. He appears to be the first fullback option off the bench.
The Hope: Jeanderson could blossom into a valuable player, though he’ll have a hard time unseating Villafaña. He showed well against Stabaek on Saturday.
The Fear: Jeanderson had a rough preseason at times, and the Timbers’ last South American defensive signing, Norberto Paparatto, never quite recovered from a similar fate last season. There are some doubts as to whether this guy has the talent to succeed in MLS.
Norberto Paparatto
The Expectation: Papa gets a second and final year in Portland, and the Timbers need him to be better than he was last year. He’ll most likely have plenty of chances to play.
The Hope: Paparatto struggled with injuries and the culture and language last year. His supporters vouch for him, and it’s very possible that he could continue the improvement he showed at the end of last year into this season.
The Fear: That he’s simply a bust, with poor passing ability and foot-speed, someone who will consistently get taken advantage of when he sees the field. Paparatto isn’t getting any younger, either.
The Rest
Danny O’Rourke is currently on trial, but it’d surprise no one if the Timbers signed him. Caleb Porter is comfortable with O’Rourke, and he’s cheap depth. Taylor Peay and Anthony Manning might both get shots to stick with the first team, with Peay the more likely of the two to avoid T2 duty. Jack Jewsbury will also provide fullback depth when needed.
MIDFIELDERS
Diego Chara
The Expectation: More outstanding work from Chara. He’s been phenomenal for the Timbers for four years now, an absolutely vital cog in Portland’s system—part Energizer Bunny, part enforcer. With the Timbers’ central midfield injury problems, Chara just becomes all the more important.
The Hope: If Chara can stop giving away penalties and better his decision making in and around the box (SHOOOOOOOT!!!), Portland could benefit greatly.
The Fear: At some point, the physical toll of the game Chara plays is bound to catch up with him simply through wear and tear. Obviously, the Timbers cannot afford an injury to #21.
Will Johnson
The Expectation: Johnson should be back by the beginning of April from his catastrophic knee injury suffered in Toronto last season. The captain should be plugged back into the starting lineup and bring his drive and considerable gusto back to the team.
The Hope: Johnson had a career year in 2013, and a return to that form is what the Timbers really need out of someone that they have committed a lot of money and responsibility to for the foreseeable future. That means goalscoring production, more care on the ball and better play defensively than we saw last year.
The Fear: One of the fears has to be that Johnson will be forever changed by his injury, which is always a possibility. Other than that, Johnson’s competitive recklessness got the better of him a lot last year, which manifested itself in poor decision making and a number of embarrassing tantrums. There is an ugly side to Johnson that everyone would like to see less of.
Jack Jewsbury
The Expectation: It was unclear at the start of the year where exactly Jewsbury would fit into the Timbers team in 2015, but now it’s clear that it will be as a third-string central midfielder. The expectation of Jack is calm and effective play when and wherever he’s plugged in.
The Hope: Jewsbury is an über-professional. He’ll play within himself and won’t do anything to hurt the team, and if he shows in March that he can handle the #6 role, he’d free up Diego Chara to be much more aggressive in the attack. Calm, confident, and committed. Jack should do the job.
The Fear: That Jewsbury is too old and too slow to play in central midfield at the MLS level anymore. We’ve seen Jewsbury exposed time and again over the last two years by teams and players with speed and stamina. This season appears to be the last great test of a career that anyone would be proud of.
Nick Besler/George Fochive
The Expectation: One of these players is going to be in and around the match-day 18 all year. One will most likely spend a considerable amount of time with T2.
The Hope: It’s certainly that both of these players progress quickly and can feature in the first time as soon as this year. The Timbers are high on both Besler and Fochive. They could form the young core of the team.
The Fear: It has to be that these two are not ready for prime-time yet, with the Timbers starting the season one injury or red card from needing them.
Rodney Wallace
The Expectation: It became very clear very early last year how important Rodney Wallace is to the Timbers. He’s still improving as a winger, and his pace, directness, and positional play give the Timbers’ offense crucial shape and direction. He bounced back well from his knee injury, and should have a big year.
The Hope: Wallace was arguably even better at the end of last year than he was in 2013. He’s capable of an all-star season.
The Fear: Wallace is a proven quantity at this point. If he keeps his confidence up, he’ll be fine. The only question mark is Dairon Asprilla—when Valeri comes back, he might be competing with Wallace for minutes.
Dairon Asprilla
The Expectation: Asprilla could be a gem. He’s almost the polar opposite of previous #11 Kalif Alhassan, in that Asprilla is direct, fast, tracks back, and can run for days. The possibilities are tantalizing.
The Hope: Asprilla will be a vital player for the Timbers if he can build on his obvious natural ability with some guile and confidence. If Asprilla continues to improve as he gets acclimated, look out.
The Fear: There might be nowhere to put Asprilla once Valeri gets healthy, with the glut of attacking talent the Timbers have.
Darlington Nagbe
The Expectation: That Nagbe gets back to his 2013 level of production while continuing his astounding ability to hold the ball and play through midfield. There’s no reason Nagbe shouldn’t be on the national team. He’s one of the most gifted players in the league.
The Hope: That the light bulb comes on and Nagbe bursts through the malaise that plagued his numbers last year. It feels like one goal or one big game could be all he needs to recover his confidence and get back on track in front of the goal.
The Fear: That Nagbe doesn’t break through that malaise. He didn’t play badly last year, he’s not going to play badly this year, and he’s not going to play badly at any time in the foreseeable future. But he owes it to himself and his ability to reemerge as one of the brightest talents in the country.
Diego Valeri
The Expectation: Valeri has to be, already, after just two years, one of the three best Timbers players ever. When he comes back from injury, he should continue to be the lynchpin—the smiling assassin with a hand in every positive attacking move.
The Hope: Valeri can’t get much better. Possibly more consistency on his set-piece deliveries, maybe a couple less turnovers… really, we just want more of the same.
The Fear: There’s always a question mark about players returning from injury, and Valeri has always started just a little bit slowly at the beginning of the past two years. With the injury trouble in midfield and a killer schedule in March, Portland might be needing immediate production from Valeri when he returns.
Gaston Fernandez
The Expectation: It’s a show-me year for La Gata. His 2014 was deceivingly good statistically, but in reality he never locked down the starting job that was supposed to be his when he was brought in. Fernandez has a good nose for the goal and plenty of tricks and flicks, but he needs to find his niche within an offense that has often looked best operating without him.
The Hope: Fernandez is a talented and unusually savvy player, and he was able to produce last year while trying to find his footing. With a season under his belt, Fernandez’s next step is asserting himself and taking over the games that he starts.
The Fear: Fernandez often gets lost in the shuffle when he starts games because of his non-existent physical presence and lack of game-breaking speed. He’s a player that thrives in tight spaces, and the Timbers’ offense works best counter-attacking with speed. Because his ceiling is lower than Asprilla’s, Fernandez’s long-term future with the Timbers is uncertain.
The Rest
Michael Nanchoff still looks quite a ways away from breaking into the 18 and onto the field, but that is certainly in part down to the Timbers’ attacking talent. He needs game-time. The question is where he’ll get it. Schillo Tshuma feels like T2 material. Ben Zemanski was lost, presumably for the season, when he tore his ACL against Vancouver.
FORWARDS
Fanendo Adi
The Expectation: Adi is clearly the main striking option in the Timbers’ one-forward look headed into his first full year in Portland. He’s expected to anchor the Timbers attack, hold play up, and wear out central defenders. If last year was any indication, he’s more than capable of filling that job description.
The Hope: Adi was next to unplayable at times last year. His combination of speed and strength could lead to the Nigerian smashing in goals if he gets going.
The Fear: Adi was inconsistent in front of the goal last year, and the pressure will be on him to score in bunches as long as Valeri’s out and Nagbe isn’t scoring. Adi works extremely hard, often against two center-backs, and that physical exertion could take its toll as the season wares on.
Maximiliano Urruti
The Expectation: Urruti has a big role, considering the Timbers once again appear to be rolling with only two real forwards and Fanendo Adi has rarely gone the full 90 minutes in Portland.
The Hope: Urruti was clinical in front of the goal during the second half of last season. As long as he keeps scoring, he’ll continue to play.
The Fear: Urruti does nothing well besides shoot—and even his goalscoring ability comes and goes—and he often kills space on offense with poor runs off the ball. Urruti is a liability if he’s not scoring, and his frequent tantrums at his teammates and officials are grating.
I would disagree with ‘Urruti does nothing well besides shoot’. His energetic pressing is absolutely crucial to Portland’s tactics. If he comes on after Adi has battered a central defensive pairing and presses the way to his ability he is more than capable of forcing an error from a tired defender – and being in a great position to take full advantage. Go to film of his goal (goal #4) against Seattle in the home draw last year.