Ned Grabavoy: 'We have a team that can finish the season strong'

The Timbers didn't add a big fish. But winter is coming, team officials say.

For a moment, there was some excitement on the message boards when the Timbers scheduled a press conference for general manager Ned Grabavoy on Thursday morning. This week marked the end of the MLS summer transfer window, and some still held out hope that Portland’s soccer club snuck in an addition just before the whistle.

So in that sense, maybe the meeting with the media began on a bit of a downer when Grabavoy quickly exchanged pleasantries and immediately opened things up for questions. 

There was no confetti. 

There was no surprise. 

No, One Big Thing.

But with the Timbers sitting with a 10-9-6 (36 points) record and holding onto the Western Conference’s No. 8 spot in the standings, Grabavoy contended that the Timbers did what needed to be done for the present and the future following the July additions of Mason Toye from Montreal and New Zealand’s Finn Surman, along with the departures of Dairon Asprilla, Nathan Fogaça and Larrys Mabiala. 

“Any time you’re in my position you don’t want to seek or create change just for the sake of change,” Grabavoy said. “It’s something that I have to be conscious and aware of. I think with our group right now there’s a good feeling of competition. It’s healthy. And I think we have a team that can finish the season strong.”