Following their worst defeat of the season, the Portland Timbers fired head coach Giovanni Savarese on Monday after six seasons in charge, according to The Associated Press. The Timbers lost their third match in a row on Sunday, a 5-0 drubbing against the Houston Dynamo, to drop to 12th in the MLS Western Conference standings.
Savarese is the winningest coach in Timbers history, having navigated Portland to a 74-62-47 record in the MLS during his five-plus seasons on the bench. He led the Timbers to the playoffs in each of his first four seasons with the club, including two trips to the MLS Cup in 2018 and 2021.
“Gio has been an exceptional coach for the Timbers and a joy to work with,” Timbers owner Merritt Paulson said in a statement. “He has achieved some fabulous results during his tenure with the club … He will be missed.”
Savarese's crowning moment with the Timbers came in the MLS Is Back Tournament in 2020. Portland went undefeated in group play before winning all four knockout matches en route to the club's first trophy since winning the 2015 MLS Cup.
The Timbers narrowly missed the playoffs last season, falling a point short. They started this season with a win before going winless across their next six games, putting the writing on the wall for Savarese's departure.
Giovanni Savarese will be remembered by Timbers fans for his triumphs while leading the club and it may take awhile before he's knocked off his perch atop the club's all-time wins list. Miles Joseph, his longtime assistant, takes over as interim head coach.
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