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Renzo Zambrano announced today via social media his departure from the Portland Timbers. The 27 year-old midfielder was out of contract following the 2021 regular season and it now appears official that he will not be resigned as a Timber.
Zambrano posted an official farewell to Portland on his Twitter feed Thursday morning. He thanked the city and fans for the four and half years he spent with the Timbers organization.
¡Gracias, Portland!
— Renzo Zambrano (@RenzoZambrano_) January 13, 2022
Fueron 4 años y medio de buenas vivencias, experiencias que me ayudan a crecer como persona para ser más fuerte.
Hoy me despido agradeciendo a mis compañeros, a todo @TimbersFC y a la ciudad que siente al equipo de forma genial.
Siempre me sentí en casa. pic.twitter.com/UDSRnGuRcj
The Venezuelan defensive midfielder originally came to the Timbers organization as a signing from Timbers 2 partway through the 2017 season. During his time with Portland’s USL affiliate, Zambrano quickly jumped out as a standout player. His best year was 2018 when he logged three goals and four assists in 31 appearances for Timbers 2. His steady performances were rewarded with a first team contract in 2019.
During his time with the Timbers, Zambrano logged just under 1,500 minutes for the first team. Utilized mostly as a substitute or reserve player, Zambrano was often called to step in for Diego Chara or Cristhian Paredes in the midfield, especially when rotation was necessary. While never hitting the same heights that he did with T2, Zambrano was a contributor for a Timbers side that wound up winning the MLS is Back Tournament in 2020 and the side that made and hosted MLS Cup in 2021.
Zambrano now departs Portland for elsewhere. Not eligible for MLS free agency, it remains to be seen whether he will remain in the league or head abroad to continue his career.