PORTLAND, Ore. – When the Portland Timbers parted with longtime coach Caleb Porter in November, the club's front office had an urgent decision ahead: With offseason moves already in the works, they needed a new manager quickly.
Fortunately for owner Merritt Paulson and general manager Gavin Wilkinson, it didn't take long for Giovanni Savarese to become their clear frontrunner.
"Gavin did the first round of interviews by phone and I stayed in close contact with him about it," Paulson recalled Monday at Savarese's formal introduction as the Timbers' third MLS head coach. "I remember after he spoke to Gio, he said, 'I don't want to tip my hand, but I really like this guy.