After offseason changes, Portland’s midfield begins to take shape

Plus: The Timbers finally move on from Jonathan Rodriguez

Cole Bassett (Photo courtesty of Portland Timbers)

A month ago, Phil Neville wasn’t ecstatic about the state of his midfield. But the Timbers manager being who he is — and this being the preseason — it wasn’t tough for the third-year manager to hype up a group that came into camp in 2026 without dynamo mainstay David Ayala.

The 22-year-old, who Neville routinely called the best midfielder in the Western Conference, now plays for Miami. And while that deal ultimately made sense for Portland (more on that in a minute), a pessimist could say it was a bit telling when the player most praised at the position by the manager before the Timbers left for preseason camp was 39-year-old Diego Chara.

“Everyone in my office, this building and in this football club should be looking at Diego Chara no different than what they looked at him five years ago,” Neville said. “If you do that, it’s disrespectful to the guy that’s come into training back with less body fat than what he was at last season, more strength in his legs and is still the first one out on the field.”

Chara was really good down the stretch for the Timbers in 2025. He also played a career-low 1,181 minutes and is coming into his 16th year with the club.

And yes, Neville expects more out of Joao Ortiz in his second year with the club after moving from Ecuador. Even so Neville had to concede “the center midfield is probably our weakest area at the moment.”

That was Jan. 15.

Things have changed in the three weeks since.

Taking the $2 million they made from the Ayala deal, the Timbers spent $2.65 million to buy midfielder Cole Bassett from Colorado. He’s 24. He’s American. He’ll occupy a U22 roster spot in 2026, is under contract through 2027 and has already started 130 matches in his career.

He’s a different player than Ayala — Bassett is an offensive-minded midfielder who keeps things moving forward — but his impact could be just as significant.

“Cole is a box-to-box midfielder with great energy and a nose for goal — a role that needed to be filled within the squad,” Neville said upon Bassett’s signing. “He’s joining us at the right time and the right age, and we believe the club will help realize his full potential.”

Bassett has yet to speak with local media, but he’s wasted little time getting acquainted with his new teammates — he started Portland’s first match of the Coachella Valley Invitational on Saturday.

Neville noted him as a standout from the 0-0 draw with DC United, along with Kristoffer Velde, Jimer Fory and Finn Surman.

“The boys put in a really good shift,” Neville said.

In Portland’s 3-2 loss to San Jose on Wednesday, Chara and Ortiz started in the midfield. Chara played 46 minutes – though Neville knows what he’s going to get out of those. Ortiz, a 29-year-old, played 72.

“What I did in the offseason, I looked back at all of our games, and there’s a lot of games where we brought Joao off the field that, in retrospect, we probably should have left him on,” Neville said. “I was probably a little too eager to rotate in that position…So I think this is a big preseason for Joao Ortiz.

“I think when you talk about somebody coming from Ecuador, there has to be some leeway for adaptation. But he’s here now. His family are settled. His wife is about to give birth to a new child and he’s going to be a big part of what we’re building in the preseason.”

Extra time

Velde starts hot

While Portland may have lost on Wednesday to San Jose, Neville saw one big positive. With two goals from Kristoffer Velde, the manager saw an offense that’s starting to show some life after its muted end to the 2025 schedule.

“He was the best player on the pitch again,” Neville said. “I thought he was the same on the weekend. He’s really getting some good rhythm and we’re really pleased. I thought the wingers played really dangerous for the first 60 minutes.

“I thought for the first time this preseason we looked exciting. We looked like we’re going to be a goal threat.”

Goodbye to Rodriguez

Jonathan Rodriguez’s run with the Portland Timbers officially came to an end earlier this week. The designated player who signed with the Timbers in 2024, led the team in scoring then missed most of 2025 due to a knee injury, was waived by the team on Monday.

Rodriguez played in 35 matches over two seasons for Portland, scoring 17 goals and tallying eight assists.

“We are incredibly grateful for Jonathan’s contributions during his time with the Portland Timbers. Even during this challenging and uncertain time while dealing with an injury, he has remained a great teammate and professional,” Timbers General Manager Ned Grabavoy said in a release. “Jonathan is the ultimate competitor, and we will continue to support him during his recovery process.”

Rodriguez’s departure clears the way for the club to operate in 2026 under the two designated player/four U22 model – with Velde and David Da Costa occupying Portland’s two DP slots.

— Tyson Alger, The I-5 Corridor