Cosmos coach Giovanni Savarese to leave club for MLS’ Portland Timbers

Savarese departs Brooklyn with 3 NASL titles

December 13, 2017 By Scott Enman Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Giovanni Savarese won three NASL championships with the Cosmos and accumulated a 65-26-51 regular season record. Photos courtesy of the New York Cosmos

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Giovanni Savarese is leaving one hipster hub for another.

The former Cosmos head coach is set to manage Major League Soccer’s (MLS) Portland Timbers next season, according to ESPN’s Taylor Twellman.

It may not be promotion/relegation, but it’s certainly a promotion for Savarese, who coached Pele’s former team for five seasons, winning three North American Soccer League (NASL) championships and accumulating a 65-26-51 regular-season record.

Cosmos supporters lauded Savarese this past campaign for turning around a franchise that was on the verge of extinction with no stadium to play in, no jersey sponsor and no tickets sold.

With little time for preparation, the off-season insecurity left Savarese to scramble at the last minute.

He was tasked with preparing his players — many of them new — on short notice, while also trying to instill his system of play.

On top of that, his team needed time to gel and build chemistry.

Looking back, however, the Venezuelan gaffer did an admirable job given the circumstances, leading the Cosmos to their third consecutive NASL Championship.

“Gio will always be a special person for me,” said Spanish legend and former Cosmos player Raul. “After almost one year of conversations, he convinced me to start a new journey with the Cosmos in 2015. Not only did Gio lead us to win the championship that year, but he also got us to be a family and gave us memories I will never forget.

“Gio is a very hardworking person with a great heart. He loves what he does and is passionate about being a head coach. I wish him all the success in the world. He deserves it.”

Savarese takes over a Portland Timbers side that finished first in the Western Conference last season, before losing to the Houston Dynamo in the Conference Semifinals of the playoffs.

Although it’s tough for the Cosmos to lose a valued coach, one who demanded an attractive possession-based soccer, it’s a well-deserved upgrade and a testament to NASL’s ability to breed quality managers.

“Gio broke into professional coaching with our club and quickly established himself as one of the finest leaders in U.S. Soccer,” said Cosmos Chairman Rocco Commisso. “In the eleven months I had the opportunity to work with Gio, he has proven to be an even better person.”

Commisso added, “I thank Gio for his enormous contributions to the Cosmos and wish him and his beautiful family nothing but the best as he moves forward into the next chapter of his coaching career.”

Sources confirmed with Twellman, a former MLS and United States Men’s National Soccer Team player, that the Timbers also had interest in New York Red Bulls manager Jesse Marsch, but the Red Bulls blocked communication.

Savarese’s ability to speak Spanish helped land him the job, according to Twellman.

The Timbers have eight players hailing from Spanish-speaking countries.

Despite leading Portland to a first-place finish, former coach Caleb Porter and the Timbers mutually parted ways.

While it’s still unclear why Porter, 42, decided to leave the team, one thing is for sure: The Timbers have a formidable coach in Savarese.

Perhaps Savarese was upset that Brooklyn was snubbed off MoveHub’s recently released U.S. Hipster Index. Portland, after all, was ranked the 12th-most hipster city, according to the report, while Porter’s hometown of Tacoma, Washington, came in at sixth.

Or maybe the Venezuelan cherished the opportunity to take over a skilled team in America’s top tier.

Either way, it will be interesting to see how Savarese adapts to MLS, a faster-paced and more competitive league than NASL.

Follow reporter Scott Enman on Twitter.