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Portland Timbers Fire Phil Neville After 27-31 Record

5/26/2026

43 3 Full Breakdown

Summary

Timbers Fire Neville

The Portland Timbers announced they have part ways with head coach Phil Neville.
Owner Merritt Paulson praised Neville’s leadership while Ned Grabavoy said results fell short, prompting a search for a coach.
Neville finished with a 27-31-24 record, winning 27 of 82 games and four of his last 14 MLS matches.
The Timbers sit 13th in the Western Conference after a 3-1 loss to the San Jose Earthquakes, from bottom.

Summary

Neville Departs

Neville’s departure coincides with MLS’s scheduled break for the 2026 World Cup, affecting the remaining 20 matches.
The Timbers will play the Seattle Sounders on July 16 after the league’s World Cup pause.
The season’s three-week international-window hiatus delays interim coaching moves, prompting choices to align with the permanent-coach search.
Neville’s résumé includes leading the England women’s national team to the 2019 World Cup semi-finals.

History

Historical Context

MLS launched in 1996 with ten inaugural clubs after the U.S. secured the 1994 World Cup, a venture funded by Lamar Hunt’s early investment and later stabilized by soccer-specific stadiums. The 2011 expansion Portland Timbers, now dismissing coach Phil Neville amid the 2026 World Cup pause, illustrate how the league’s early financial turbulence has given way to more strategic roster and staff moves.

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Timbers Fire Neville

The Portland Timbers announced they have part ways with head coach Phil Neville.
Owner Merritt Paulson praised Neville’s leadership while Ned Grabavoy said results fell short, prompting a search for a coach.
Neville finished with a 27-31-24 record, winning 27 of 82 games and four of his last 14 MLS matches.
The Timbers sit 13th in the Western Conference after a 3-1 loss to the San Jose Earthquakes, from bottom.

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