BEAVERTON, Ore. – Portland Timbers defender Larrys Mabiala rarely ventures into the controversial, but he’s always blunt, even when blunt doesn’t make news. Often, this leaves him evoking perspective, confessing when performances are bad but also noting that they’re only one performance.
That’s part of the reason why the veteran’s Wednesday comments feel so spot on. With two days’ distance from the team’s disappointing 3-1 loss to Minnesota United FC in its home opener, Mabiala was honest about the patterns he saw resurface, admitting “Honestly, I wasn’t expecting this to happen” when asked parallels to Portland’s 2018 and 2019 starts.