Trying to add a payment method? You can do this on the 
The Portland Timbers have finally lost their star.
The Portland Timbers have lost their star.
Finally.
While it’s true a soccer franchise the caliber of the Portland Timbers should never celebrate parting ways with a talent the likes of Evander, the long, drawn-out breakup between the MLS club and its star designated player came to a close on Tuesday.
Evander, according to a Portland team source, is now a member of FC Cincinnati after a blockbuster deal between the two franchises sent the 26-year-old MVP finalist to the Eastern Conference in exchange for $12 million. According to a source, the Timbers are taking nearly $6 million of that money to finalize a transfer with 24-year-old Lens (France) midfielder David Pereira da Costa as the team’s new designated player.
News of both deals was first reported by Tom Bogert of Give Me Sport.
What the Timbers are losing:
Tuesday marked the end of a rocky marriage between the Timbers and one of the most talented players to ever grace the team’s roster. Evander finished third in MLS MVP voting in 2024 after scoring 15 goals with 15 assists in his second year with the club. Evander was Portland’s first all-star since 2019 and was the fulcrum of a Portland attack that made the Timbers one of the MLS’ must-watch teams in 2024 — when he was on.
But Evander wasn’t always on, especially as the midfielder grew frustrated after the team turned down numerous offers to part ways with the player midseason.
After Portland’s 5-0 loss to Vancouver in the MLS’ play-in round, Evander blasted team ownership and management in a flurry of postgame tweets, fracturing a relationship with the front office that couldn’t be fixed.
“I’m building a team here and a culture to win,” Portland manager Phil Neville said last month. “When you build something and you want to win, you need everybody on the bus heading in the same direction.”
While the Timbers will soon be heading north back to Portland following the conclusion of its preseason schedule in Coachella, Evander will instead be heading east — ending a two-year partnership between the club and player that began on Dec. 5, 2022 when the Timbers paid a near-$10 million transfer fee to FC Midtjylland for the then-24-year-old.
While Evander produced 9 goals and 4 assists in his first season with the club, he became one of the league’s most-impactful stars in his second season — his first season under Neville.
“I don’t see a better 10 in either conference at this moment in time than Evander,” Neville said in April. “That’s how good I rate him — and there’s some good No. 10s in these conferences.”
What the Timbers are gaining:
Because of the drawn-out nature of Evander’s situation, the Timbers weren’t caught on their backfoot. The club identified Da Costa as a target early in the offseason, scouting him this winter in anticipation of an eventual breakup with Evander.
Da Costa is in Portland, has completed his physical and will be the star signing of an offseason that’s already seen the additions of midfielder Joao Ortiz, left back Jimer Fory, forward Kevin Kelsy and midfielder Ariel Lassiter.
Da Costa, 24, had four goals and three assists in 1,499 minutes last year. He’s an attacking midfielder, but has the flexibility to where he could play winger for Neville’s squad. Da Costa is from Portugal and saw his profile rise during the 2022-23 season when he started 16 games for RC Lens as the team qualified for the Champions League. He was a homegrown product for the French squad, coming up through Lens’ academy before making his way onto the Ligue 1 team’s roster. He made 122 appearances in his career with the club.
Da Costa joins Jonathan Rodriguez as Portland’s second designated player.
The Timbers are currently midway through their run through the Coachella Valley Invitational, where the club has so far secured a 2-1 win over San Jose and a 0-0 draw against Chicago in the preseason exhibition tournament.
The Timbers open up the regular season on Feb. 23 at home against Vancouver.
Portland and Cincinnati play on Aug. 16 at Providence Park.
— Tyson Alger, The I-5 Corridor
