Leagues Cup win gives Portland's Larrys Mabiala an emotional goodbye
A longtime Timber played his final minutes Thursday night.
PORTLAND — Larrys Mabiala was wearing the captain’s band with sweat pouring down his forehead after Portland’s 4-0 win over Colorado Thursday night at Providence Park when the emotion hit him.
Minutes earlier, the 36-year-old was in the air — hoisted over and over again by teammates who carried the Frenchman off the pitch. This came two days after Mabiala surprised reporters at Portland’s training facility with an unscheduled press conference, saying he was stepping away from a 19-year career — the last eight of which have been with Portland.
“I’ve decided to step away from professional football, because I have to think deeply about what I’m going to do next,” Mabiala, who scored nine goals with four assists in 153 matches with Portland, said on Tuesday. “I’ve been bleeding from the inside a lot. I have to take care of my mental health.”
On Thursday, Mabiala came on for his final appearance at Providence Park to loud cheers in the 82nd minute, with Evander handing over the captain’s band as the Timbers held a 4-0 lead. The defender had little time to settle into his farewell minutes — just seconds into his arrival, Mabiala positioned himself perfectly to clear a ball with a header to help secure Portland’s clean sheet.
Manager Phil Neville called Mabiala’s final minutes “outstanding,” though it’s fair to wonder if they’ll end up as a blur for the departing Frenchman.
“I gave so much for the club, for the organization, for my teammates as well, and it’s nice to see that love back,” Mabiala said after being carried off the pitch. “It means a lot. It means a lot. Sorry, I’m very emotional right now and I’m trying to hold back tears. But it means a lot.”
Mabiala said he doesn’t know what’s next. He just knows he’s tired of missing important things. Family things.
“I'm going to rest,” he said. “I'm going to rest for six months to one year, and then I'll start to see and explore what I want next.”
— Tyson Alger, The I-5 Corridor