BEAVERTON, Ore. – Fans of the Portland Timbers are used to shifting their focus to the sidelines in the moments after their team’s goals. In those moments, the exuberance head coach Giovanni Savarese emits has become a highlight, reflecting a man who saved a few celebrations from his days on the field. But after Portland’s first goal in a playoff-clinching, 3-1 victory over the San Jose Earthquakes on October 6, another person assumed part of the spotlight near the team’s technical area – and it wasn’t just the goalscorer.
Claude Dielna arrived to doubts during the offseason after a year with the New England Revolution that saw him finish the 2018 season on then-head coach Brad Friedel’s bench.