The rumors of back office moves for the Portland Timbers this offseason are starting to come to fruition today with the team adding their first major hire of the year, Larry Sunderland, as youth technical director this morning. The former academy director for the Chicago Fire, Sunderland will work with youth sporting director Mike Smith to oversee the Timbers Academy development system.
While with the Fire, Sunderland oversaw an academy system that produced five homegrown players that signed with the Fire first team, most notably midfielder Harry Shipp who has played 66 of the Fire's last 68 league matches since signing with the team in 2014.