Giovanni Savarese takes over the coaching job in Portland after the Timbers and Caleb Porter parted ways in November.
Portland was stunned in the Western Conference semifinals by the Houston Dynamo, and the former New York Cosmos coach now has the task of getting the club back to the title-winning form of 2015.
Can the Timbers overcome the losses of Porter and midfielder Darlington Nagbe, two legends of the young franchise, or will they take a step back after topping their conference in the 2017 regular season?
How did the Portland Timbers perform in 2017?
2017 finish: First in Western Conference (15-8-11), lost to the Houston Dynamo in the Western Conference semifinals
It was another strong season for the Timbers, who only lost once in their final seven games as part of their run to the top seed in the Western Conference playoffs.