Portland in Leagues Cup: the young prospect and the star to follow

The Timbers were founded in 2007 as an MLS expansion team. They have been one of the most successful teams in MLS since their inception. They have won the MLS Cup in 2015, and they have also won the US Open Cup in 2015 and 2020.

Portland currently sit 12th place in the Western Conference of  MLS. Whilst the Oregon-based side have struggled with conceding goals and chances, they hope that defensive reinforcements with the likes of Miguel Araujo coming in can help steer the club in the right direction. 

Portland will be in **West 1**, along with San Jose Earthquakes and Tigres UANL. Their first match will be on July 22 against San Jose at Providence Park at 10:00 p.m. ET.

Portland Timbers

Evander: A New Hope

The Brazilian began his career playing for Vasco da Gama, where he made his professional debut in 2016. He then moved to FC Midtjylland in 2018, where he won the Danish Superliga in 2020.

Evander joined Portland Timbers in December 2021 for a reported fee of $10 million. The attacking midfielder has made a good start to his MLS career having scored 5 goals and providing 3 assists in 17 appearances. At 25-years-old there is high hope in him bringing the Timbers to more trophies. 

Santiago Moreno: The Colombian ties remain strong in Portland 

He began his career with Deportivo Cali, where he made his professional debut in 2019. He then moved to Independiente Medellín in 2021, where he won the Copa Colombia in 2022.

Moreno then joined Portland Timbers in January 2023 for a reported fee of $4 million. The  versatile Colombian has played in various positions along the attacking line. His good dribbling skills, vision, and passing ability have given him a knack of creating chances for his teammates, showing why he’s one of the first names on the team sheet with 21 appearances and 4 assists.