PORTLAND, OR – JANUARY 8, 2018: The Portland Timbers new coach Giovanni Savarese presentation (Photo by Diego Diaz/ProstAmerika).
For first year manager Giovanni Savarese this bye could not come at a better time. The week off was a sign of relief for his players, who had a chance to recover, rest, and spend quality time with their families. In his usual Tuesday press conference Savarese had plenty to smile about. First, he became a U.S. citizen yesterday and his side started their vacation on a high note, defeating New York City FC 3-0.
But Savarese has to put the NYCFC result away and look ahead to the rest of the season. The club has been in active preparation all week for their match on Saturday against the San Jose Earthquakes (5/5, 730pm PST). Despite San Jose’s troubles, Savarese is not taking the Quakes lightly.
That could be in part due to Portland’s troubles in the Bay Area. In their 2017 encounter with San Jose at Avaya Stadium the Quakes got the best of the Timbers, defeating them by a 2-1 scoreline. Portland have won just once in San Jose in nine tries (1-4-4, 7 points). While their last two matches at home have ended with a plus, once again the specter of playing on the road and looking to net a positive record will be a challenge for Saverese.
For manager Savarese among one of the notable points in his conference, was the return of several of his players. With defenders Vytas and Bill Tuiloma and defensive midfielder David Guzman back in training Portland should be at near full strength. The progress of these three is evolving in a positive way although in the case of Guzman he may be leaving soon with Costa Rica for their World Cup preparation. But having Guzman back for the interim Tuiloma and Vytas fully ready is good news for Portland. That in turn puts pressure for Savarese in defining his eighteen and initial eleven. When these chaps are back he will have a tough decision to make.
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