The Evander Saga

What happens when a star player calls out the team's highest-profile decision maker(s)

An MVP-caliber year from your team’s best player is usually the type of thing that unites a club with its fanbase, providing a source of optimism heading into a long offseason — Soccer City USA experienced this firsthand after Diego Valeri’s sparkling 2017 season ended with the Timbers’ maestro becoming the first player in club history to win the Landon Donovan MLS MVP award.

But after Portland were carried to a ninth-place finish and subsequent play-in game by Evander in 2024, the mood around the team and their star couldn’t be more different.