Portland Timbers 2026 Season Preview

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Hooligan Soccer

·8 February 2026

Portland Timbers 2026 Season Preview

This article was written after recording The Designated Pundits‘ Portland Timbers preview for the 2026 MLS Season with special guest Sam Svilar from “Stumptown Footy.” You can find that video on Spotify below.

2025 Recap

The Portland Timbers had a bit of a down year in 2025, but still finished 8th in the west with an 11-11-12 record. They were eliminated by San Diego FC in the MLS Cup Playoffs.

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Contributors include Antony who broke out with 7 goals and 5 assists, Kevin Kelsy with 7 goals and 1 assists, and David da Costa with 4 goals and 6 assists.

Offensive regression was the theme of the season. Portland scored only 41 goals, down 24 goals from the previous season. Part of their offensive struggles revolved around attacker Jonathan Rodriguez, who was out for most of the season with injury.

Big changes with little reward were another part of the 2025 story. Portland sold Evander to FC Cincinnati before the season began for big money. His replacement David da Costa came in from Lens in Ligue 1, but couldn’t come close to matching Evander’s 30 contributions (15g/15a) from 2024.

With Jonathan Rodriguez out long-term, they brought in Norwegian winger Kristoffer Velde as a Designated Player in August. He played just over 1000 minutes but only got 2g/2a. Their loan for Felipe Carballo from RBNY fizzled out after he was limited by injury most of the season. He only recorded a single assist in 18 games.

Overall, this attacking unit should be better with rest and acclimation. Without major offensive additions, I still think their attack should be closer to 2024 form than 2025 form.

Transactions

Portland’s list of outgoing players totaled eight, including David Ayala leaving for Miami on a lucrative $2M transfer. Cristhian Paredes and Maxime Crepeau walked on free transfers, while Felipe Carballo’s loan expired.

Incoming players include Cole Bassett (right), a former Feyenoord and Rapids midfielder who slots in as a starter. Brandon Bye could compete for the right back position, while Alex Bonetig should be much needed center back depth.

Depth Chart

This depth chart shows a 4-3-3 attacking with David da Costa at the #10 paired with wingers Kristoffer Velde and Antony. While Kevin Kelsy should get the most opportunities at center forward, Felipe More provides age and experience.

In midfield, Diego Chara enters his 15th season as a Timber. He will turn 40 this season, which means Joao Ortiz should get plenty of minutes.

Defense provides opportunity for the Timbers to make some additions. The center backs in particular could be a place for a shakeup, with four pretty average options.

Questions

Which player, outside our projected starting 11, has the best chance to win a job? Alex Bonetig. This defense needs a shakeup, and he might already be one of the best CB options.
What are some realistic expectations for 2026? 5th-8th in the Western Conference is the goal.
What are some storylines to follow throughout the 2026 season? Kristoffer Velde (pictured below) is a player to watch. He’s Norwegian and Argentinian, has a big personality, and always wants the ball.
What styles does this team match up well against? Conservative teams that position their defense deep, or teams with a “normal” 4-4-2 formation could give Portland the space they need.
What styles does this team match up poorly against? Portland will struggle again against high pressing teams. It seemed at times like they needed an extra second to “figure it out” when they had the ball.
What player improves the most in 2026? David da Costa. He never got acclimated and nursed an injury. This could be a year of acclimation to MLS where he turns into a stud.
Which player regresses in 2026? Juan Mosquera. Brandon Bye was brought in for a reason, and could eat minutes. If Bye works out, Mosquera could be in need of a new club.

Hear more, and follow along as I preview all 30 MLS teams before kickoff of the 2026 season!

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