Portland, Ore. (December 12, 2017)- Portland Timbers are reportedly set to name former New York Cosmos manager, Giovanni Savarese, as their new head coach. This comes after the club and Caleb Porter agreed to mutually part ways a little less than a month ago.
Portland Timbers set to name Gio Savarese as new manager
Gio Savarese checks all the boxes for the Portland Timbers. Early reports were that they were looking for a bilingual coach, and someone with a good tactical acumen. Savarese fits that mold, and his preferred way of playing fits perfectly with how Portland likes to operate.
Savarese has experienced plenty of success with his New York Cosmos, winning multiple titles, and holding a career winning percentage of 65%. He has knowledge of MLS, the American setup, and its inner workings. All of these things should benefit Portland.
Portland Timbers will need to get him some defensive help and depth. The reported imminent trade of Darlington Nagbe to Atlanta United FC leaves a gap in the midfield that could be filled, and they really need backline help.
Portland Timbers already have a latin-american flair to them, with Diego Valeri, Sebasitian Blanco, and David Guzman all a part of their midfield. Diego Chara, Dairon Asprilla, and Lucas Melano have filled out their latin american contingent.
Gio Savarese’s 4-2-3-1 tactical setup fits well with what Portland has tried to do in the past. They will likely be looking for one more playmaker on the wings, and some center-back help. Savarese is already well connected in MLS and South America due to his time with the Venezuelan national team, Caracas, and a few other south american players.
Final Thoughts
Portland Timbers probably needed a change. While it had looked for a while like they were looking outside of MLS, Gio Savarese is one of the best picks that Portland could have made, that also have a working knowledge of the american soccer landscape. While it’s too early to say exactly how he’ll do, it’s easy to say this was a smart hire for Portland.
