Nowadays Gavin Wilkinson (r) behind Nat Borchers prefers to stay in the background / Ziro Castellano
The age old adage that you can’t make an omelette without breaking eggs was probably never truer in the history of soccer in the Rose City, than in the case of Gavin Wilkinson.
New Zealand is not a country known for its natives ability to inspire hashtags but Wilkinson is not someone who conforms to a lot of norms.
However, it is just not imaginable to think of Portland Timbers without Gaviin Wilkinson and equally unimaginable to think that the current crop of overseas players would be in Portland without his ability to scout, judge and attract players.
There is no better instance that personifies Wilkinson’s bullet proof attitude to improving the Timbers than the Expansion Draft. He selected very popular and capable midfielder Dax McCarty, a signing then greeted with the same enthusiasm afforded to Will Johnson several years later.
Within two hours, McCarty had been traded to DC United for Rodney Wallace and a fourth round draft pick.
“Rodney is a young, yet proven MLS player who again gives us great versatility with his ability to play several positions,” Wilkinson at the time.
Amid all the astonishment that he had traded the popular McCarty, the Timbers announcer (and now the voice of Major League Soccer on Fox) John Strong tried to explain the motivation:
“Gavin Wilkinson says they have another central MF in mind overseas, so they didn’t need Dax McCarty, but saw his value in a trade”.
For five months, Wilkinson’s judgment fell into question. Then on April 13 2011, Timbers announced Diego Chara as their first Designated Player.
Few, looking back now, can say Wilkinson got it wrong. Chara and Wallace have been among the biggest contributors to both John Spencer and Caleb Porter’s side over the five years.
Chara perhaps is the poster child for Wilkinson’s belief that South America into Central America was a better source for talent.
While some clubs were still mining Honduras, Costa Rica and Guatemala for talent, mostly because the economics of player wages there made MLS attractive, the New Zealander had already started a series of trips to Colombia.
Gavin Wilkinson – The hair may have been a statement but it is still smarter than smoking / Photo: Timberlandia
Colombia was the forerunner of the now league-wide tendency to recruit players from other CONMEBOL countries, Argentina and Uruguay.
Diego Valeri followed.
Now that list includes Norbert Paparatto, Max Urruti, Dairon Asprilla and Lucas Melano. Gaston Fernandez didn’t quite work and another career, that of Jose Valencia, was sadly blighted by injury.
But there can be no doubt that Wilkinson’s eye for talent that can make it in MLS has been right far more often than it has been wrong.
Lately, his ability to select talent that meets Caleb Porter’s style and game plan has been a key factor in Timber’s success.
Fanendo Adi is at the end of a long line of center forwards who were seen as the bright new scoring messiah in Oregon. After the goals he has scored this season, he may be the real deal.
No honest profile of Wilkinson would be complete without mentioning the downside of his drive to make Portland. competitive. On visits to the city, it can sometimes seem that every Portlandian has their own negative story to tell about him.
He took most of the flak for the very unpopular dismissal of John Spencer. Spencer has admirably and with dignity held his counsel about the circumstances that led to that. However, in a private conversation I had with the Scot at Stamford Bridge, home of Chelsea FC, I very much got the impression that he did not consider it 100% accurate to cast Wilkinson in the role of lone assassin. His downfall was a little more nuanced than many thought at the time.
Wilkinson took the abuse and often seems to act as a bullet proof vest for the club’s owner Merritt Paulson, probably another deserving inclusion in any series of Portland Profiles.
Wilkinson then took charge of a demoralised team and a 5-0 hammering in Dallas did not steady the ship. They had eyed their replacement for Spencer but, just as with Chara, there was a delay and Wilkinson had to take the flak in the intervening period.
Prost Portland correspondent Brennan Burns summed up Wilkinson’s predicament at the time:
“Continually in the hot seat following the firing of John Spencer at mid-season, Wilkinson was constantly under fire for his integral role in assembling a team that played well below Paulson imposed expectations.”
That period had one upside. The Kiwi’s media displays improved considerably and he became a far more confident handler of difficult questions. He even became … dare one say it … mildly diplomatic.
That all seems like a different era now. He is very much out of the limelight. Portland is effervescently overloaded with men who love a good conversation with a journalist; Will Johnson and Nat Borchers being two of my personal favourites to interview.
“I hope to do my job and not get noticed in many ways, he told Timbers.com this week.
Wilkinson has been around the block enough to know he won’t get too much of the credit it Portland win MLS Cup. One suspects that will bother him little.
But he will revel in the joy it brings to the Portland fanbase. Perhaps he might get a new hashtag out of it!
The famous Gavin Wilkinson lookalike: What me worry?
More MLS Cup:
Alan Hinton: Sounders fans should support the Timbers on Sunday
Timbers confirm log will travel to Columbus
Cascadia Corner Player of the Year 2015: Jorge Villafana
Portland Profiles: Sunday White, taking a stand just by living her life
UPDATED: Timber Joey’s Log will be at MLS Cup final but not inside stadium
Portland Profiles: Timber Jim, I’d drive the log to Columbus!
Cascadia Corner: At last, our boasting is real!
