The Portland Timbers have hired Phil Neville as their head coach until the end of the 2026 season.

Neville joins from the Canada men’s teams coaching staff and replaces Giovanni Savarese, who was fired from the team in late August following five and a half years.

Assistant coach Miles Joseph served as interim head coach until Neville’s hiring. 

“I am massively excited about the challenge ahead, and from the very first moment I met the staff I knew it was the right opportunity for me, the right club for me and the right city for me,” Neville said about the hiring. “The fans are the most important part of this football club with their intensity and support, and I think this journey is going to be something special. I have great memories visiting Portland, which reminds me of Manchester, my hometown, and I can’t wait for my family to get to know this beautiful city.”

Neville’s previous experience includes coaching Inter Miami from 2021 to 2023 and the England Women’s national team from 2018 to 2021, leading the latter team to the semifinals in the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup. 

The decision to hire Neville has sparked controversy amongst fans, as the Timbers support group issued a statement asking the club to reconsider, citing Neville’s past statements about women, which Neville has since apologized for.

“We are deeply disappointed that the club has reportedly settled on a finalist for head coach who has a history of sexist public statements that run counter to our ethos as a club, city and supporters’ group, and who also lacks a proven track record as a manager,” the Timbers Army statement said. 

Neville will look to improve the Timbers’ record, as they finished in the Western Conference and 18th overall and failed to qualify for the playoffs.

Goalkeeper Tim Howard delivered a great performance in his Major League Soccer debut, making two key second-half saves in the Colorado Rapids’ 0-0 draw with the Portland Timbers at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Denver on Monday night.

Tim Howard Keeps Clean Sheet In MLS Debut As Rapids Tie 0-0 With Timbers

Howard, 37, had spent the past 13 years in the English Premier League, most recently with Everton FC. One scarf available to fans dubs him the “secretary of defense,” a title he lived up to after blocking shots from the Timbers’ Darren Mattocks and Lucas Melano in the second half. Howard dove to his right to stop Mattocks’ right-footed shot in the 54th minute and denied Melano with his foot 10 minutes later.

The goalie began his career with the North Jersey Imperials– with whom he spent one season– in 1997 before heading to the New York MetroStars (now the New York Red Bulls), and then making his big move to Manchester United in 2003.

There he won the 2003 FA Community Shield, the 2003–04 FA Cup and the 2005–06 League Cup but was sent on loan to Everton in 2006 when United signed Dutchman Edwin van der Sar. 

Howard then became a permanent member of Everton in February 2007 and ended with an emotional speech to the club’s faithful at the end of last season in which he said, “I will remain an Evertonian for life. This will always be my team, my club.”

Colorado acquired Howard through allocation after the Rapids secured the No. 1 spot in the ranking order.

Timbers goalkeeper Jake Gleeson had four saves for his second shutout of the season.

Howard also recently started for the US Men’s National Team in their 1-0 loss against Colombia in the third-place match of the Copa America Centenario on June 25. He is the highest-paid goalkeeper in MLS by far, earning $2,575,000 in guaranteed compensation, according to the most recent MLS Players Union documents. The Rapids sat atop the MLS Western Conference standings with 32 points through 16 games entering Monday.

Obviously, the MLS has changed significantly since Howard last played in it 13 years ago, as have several other major soccer leagues around the world. Howard discussed these changes and explained the reasons behind his return in a recent interview with Sports Illustrated Now.

“It’s night and day,” Howard said of the MLS changes. “The league that I left looks nothing like it does today. That’s what brought me back, just the excitement of playing in some of these new stadiums. When I left, that was just a dream, you know, for teams to have their own stadiums. Now, we’re attracting some of the world’s best players, and I’m really excited about the project that’s been put forth in Colorado.”

GLENDALE, AZ – JUNE 25: Goalkeeper Tim Howard #12 of United States walks on the pitch during the 2016 Copa America Centenario third place match against Colombia at University of Phoenix Stadium on June 25, 2016 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

A roller coaster of a game last night gave The Portland Timbers a bid to the MLS Cup for the first time after a late-season and playoff surge. The Timbers faced FC Dallas yesterday in a tight-knit match that saw action go all the way to the last minute.

With the game scoreless after one half, Fanendo Adi was able to score the first goal off a Diego Valeri pass. But Dallas did not give up for in the 69th minute, defenseman Ryan Hollingshead tied the game up after Mauro Diaz found Hollinghead going straight up the field on the left side. Four minutes later, Diaz was able to pass the ball on a free kick to Blas Perez and he headed the ball into the net to give Dallas a 2-1 lead and hopes of forcing extra time. This was all the offense Dallas could do for the rest of the game since Portland already won the MLS Cup bid because of the 5-3 aggregate series Portland had against Dallas. Lucas Melano scored a safe goal in stoppage time to steal the victory for the Timbers.

The Portland Timbers will face the Columbus Crew SC next week in the MLS Cup Final next Sunday at 4 p.m., where it will be aired on ESPN.

Photo: FRISCO, TX – NOVEMBER 29: Alvas Powell #2 of Portland Timbers dribbles the ball against Blas Perez #7 of FC Dallas during the Western Conference Finals-Leg 2 of the MLS playoffs at Toyota Stadium on November 29, 2015 in Frisco, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

The Portland Timbers defeated the Sporting Kansas City at home on Thursday night in an exciting first-round MLS playoff game that ended with a 2-2 tie at the end of extra time. After 120 minutes of regular play and extra time, and 22 penalties, the Timbers took it all in Portland by winning 7-6 in the penalty shootout.

Portland took the lead in the 57th minute with forward Rodney Wallace kicking, while falling down, from inside the box to put the Timbers up 1-0. Sporting KC’s Graham Zusi then sent a cross in the 87th minute to connect with Kevin Ellis, who scored on a header and tied up the game.

Then, in extra time, Krisztian Nemeth took a shot from a terrible angle on the left side, near the goal line, in the 96th minute to give Kansas City a 2-1 lead.

Finally, Portland brought the game to yet another tie with three minutes remaining in extra time (117th minute), with a one-time volley from Maximiliano Urruti after a cross from the right.

The final three highlights of the game occurred during the shootout: SKC’s Saad Abdul_Salaam kicked a shot that made the ball touch both goalposts but did not go in the net. SKC also missed their final kick, a goalie matchup in which Portland’s goalkeeper Adam Larsen Kwarasey blocked a left-side shot from SKC goalie Jon Kempin, a shot which decided the game. Kwarasey scored his shot against Kempin.

PHOTO: PORTLAND, OR – APRIL 04: Maximiliano Urruti #37 of Portland Timbers celebrates with teammate Dairon Asprilla #11 of Portland Timbers after scoring a goal during the second half of the game against the FC Dallas at Providence Park on April 4, 2015 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images)