The Portland Timbers opened the 2026 pre-season with an open training session and media availabilities for general manager Ned Grabavoy, head coach Phil Neville, Kristoffer Velde, Brandon Bye, and Finn Surman.
Diving into the Timbers Academy set up, with youth coaches Darren Back and Fernando Pessoa: "The club's fully invested in the younger players, and the communications are really good... We are fortunate to have a very open door of conversation across all levels"
A conversation with Timbers Technical Director Jack Dodd on player development and organizational alignment from academy to the first team: "Everybody wants to see their own people in the team".
