It's a new year and a new season for the Portland Timbers, who missed out on the 2014 playoffs by 1 point. The 2014 Timbers finally got their first win of the season nine games in. Had they turned any of those first eight into a better result, Portland would have been fighting for an MLS Cup. But the slow start plagued the rest of the season, and fans felt they never saw the true Timbers play that year. Avoiding another agonizingly poor start to the season is crucial if the Timbers want to secure a spot in the postseason, which may be more obtainable with a 6th spot being added to both the Eastern and Western Conference playoffs. Normally a team could say it's all in the past, and start fresh in the coming season. But for the Portland Timbers, 2014 continues to haunt them with two key injuries, Diego Valeri and Will Johnson.

Diego Valeri went down in October of last year against FC Dallas, and Will Johnson in September, just seconds into a match against Toronto FC. Both injuries required surgery and have kept the players well out of the 18 man lineup since. Neither is due back until after the season gets underway, with Johnson expected to make a speedier recovery and may see his return three to four games into the season. 

Even in 2015, new injuries are finding their way to the Portland Timbers. In the first game of the Simple Invitational, a preseason tournament held by the Timbers, midfielder Ben Zemanski, who replaced Will Johnson when he was injured, tore his ACL, and is reported as being out for season. Diego Chara got knocked around during the same tournament, and sat out the last game to treat his nagging injury.

It isn't all bad in the Rose City, fortunately for Timbers fans. Newcomers Dairon Asprilla and Adam Kwarasey have really looked like they'll be solid contributors to their positions, with both looking like sure bets to start on opening day. Kwarasey is the new first choice goalkeeper in Portland after expansion side Orlando City SC chose Donovan Ricketts with the first pick in the expansion draft. Asprilla, 22, joins the Timbers by way of Columbia, where he most recently played with Alianza Petrolera on loan from Atletico Nacional. Asprilla brings speed, quickness, and a decent shot that will keep opposing defenders on their toes. 

Defense was the biggest problem for the Portland Timbers in 2014, and this has been at least somewhat addressed with the additions of veteran Nat Borchers, and Brazilian Jeanderson. Borchers will replace Pa Kah, now with the Vancouver Whitecaps, to play alongside DP central defender Liam Ridgewell. Ridgewell will be playing in his second season with the Timbers.

With the injuries piling up, the starting XI for opening day will likely look a bit different from the end of the season. Diego Valeri and Will Johnson will give way to others while they recover from injuries, and a few players will be fighting for a starting spot on any given day like Asprilla, Fernandez, and Nagbe. Here is the projected starting lineup for Portland's first match of the season against Real Salt Lake.

Kwarasey; Villafana, Ridgewell, Borchers, Powell; Jewsbury, Chara, Wallace, Fernandez, Nagbe; Adi

Looking at the beginning of the 2015 season, the magic (or possibly haunting) number is nice. The first nine games of the season for the Timbers are arguably the hardest of any team in MLS. Seven of the nine games are against 2014 playoff teams, including one of the newest members of the Western Conference, Sporting Kansas City. The other two games are against the new expansion sides, New York City FC and Orlando City SC, both of which are being picked by many to make the Eastern Conference playoffs. Portland opens the season at home hosting Real Salt Lake, and then host the LA Galaxy the following week. For a team riddled with injuries, a tough opening schedule doesn't bode well for confidence. It will take a lot for the Timbers to start as well or better than last season.

The best case scenario in 2015 for the Portland Timbers is winning their first MLS Cup. It's a tall, highly unlikely task, but when the Timbers are healthy they're one of the best teams in MLS. Keeping them from glory is an elevated level of play from teams all around the league, thanks to a new influx of high quality players. Even though the playoffs have been expanded to include six teams from five, Sporting Kansas City and the Houston Dynamo add more teams the Timbers have to fight for a postseason spot. 

On the flip side, the worst case scenario is that the Timbers fail to make the playoffs again this season. Since early last year, there has been a lot of unrest amongst Timbers fans, and many have been very vocal about their displeasure in ownership and coaching. Fans will continue to show their disapproval no matter what the outcome of this season holds, but missing out on the playoffs could likely be the catalyst in a changing of the guard in Portland.

Can the Timbers start off hot this season, despite injuries leaving gaping holes in their lineup? Can Caleb Porter play puppet master and pull the strings to lead his team into the playoffs? Will Porter be the coach next season if he can't? Find out when the season kicks off this Saturday at Providence Park when the Portland Timbers take on Real Salt Lake.

VAVEL Logo
About the author
Joe Wielgus
Portland Timbers beat writer for VAVEL USA. Portland Timbers, AS Monaco FC, and Milwaukee Bavarians supporter