Savarese to be next Timbers Coach?

ESPN is reporting Giovanni Savarese will be the Portland Timbers’ next head coach, succeeding Caleb Porter who unexpectedly left the club in November.

His managerial experience is exclusively with the New York Cosmos where he won the NASL title three times in his tenure (2013-2017) including an undefeated season in 2015. His overall regular season record with the Cosmos stands at 65-26-51. His contract with the Cosmos ended this year, and he expressed interest in coaching in the MLS as recently as this summer.

Savarese definitely fits the bilingual, MLS-experienced profile described by Merritt Paulson and Gavin Wilkinson having played for five years in the MLS. He has also played for the Venezuelan national team and a long list of clubs including Swansea City.

PTFC declined to comment when contacted by Stumptown Footy.