KXRW and XRAY were at Providence Park for what became Phil Neville’s final match as head coach of the Portland Timbers. This 5-minute report looks back on Neville’s tenure in Portland, from his arrival in 2023 and early playoff progress, to the inconsistency that followed and the pressure surrounding the club heading into the World Cup break.
The report also recaps Portland’s 3-1 home loss to the San Jose Earthquakes, Neville’s postgame comments, and the Timbers’ announcement two days later that the club and Neville had mutually agreed to part ways. With Portland now searching for a new head coach, the club enters its next chapter looking for stability, direction, and a stronger path forward.
Produced and Reported by Michael Sarno.
Transcription:
It is official, Phil Neville is out as head coach of the Portland Timbers.
After two and a half seasons in charge, Neville and the Timbers organization have mutually agreed to part ways, closing the book on a tenure that began with so much hope, but never fully found its footing. KXRW and XRAY FM were at Providence Park for what would become Neville’s final match on the Timbers’ sidelines, a loss to the San Jose Earthquakes.
We take a look back on Neville’s tenure, his final game, and what’s next for the Timbers. When Neville came into Portland in November of 2023, he was already a well-established name in football. Before coaching, he spent nearly two decades as a player in the Premier League, most notably with Manchester United, where he came through during one of the club’s most successful eras, as well as Everton and England’s national team.
As a coach, Neville’s resume included leading the England’s women’s national team, a stint with Inter Miami, and assistant work with Canada’s men’s national team. However, Neville’s hiring was not without controversy. Some Timber supporters questioned the move from the beginning, both because of Neville’s coaching record and also because of past social media comments that resurfaced when he was hired.
Through it all, the club stood by Neville, and in his first season, Portland returned to the MLS playoffs in 2024, its first post-season appearance since hosting the MLS Cup in 2021. But the return warranted a quick one-and-done exit after a five-nothing wildcard round loss to Vancouver. Even with the quick playoff exit, there was still some hope around Timber’s army that Neville’s first season could be a starting point.
And in 2025, Portland did take a step forward as Neville led the Timbers back to the postseason for a second straight year, this time getting past the wildcard round with the club’s first playoff victory since 2021. After two straight postseason appearances, the stage was set for 2026 to become Neville’s proving ground, the year Portland needed to show it was no longer just hovering around the playoff line, but actually building towards something more.
With all eyes on Neville, Portland opened 2026 with a victory, but from there, the momentum faded quickly. As the wins became harder to find, the same questions around consistency returned, and Portland found themselves near the bottom of the Western Conference at four wins, seven losses, and two draws going into their final game before the World Cup break against San Jose at home.
Facing the Quakes, the Timbers gave up three goals in the first half, including one in just the second minute. Neville emerged from halftime visibly irritated, and the scoreline stayed three-one until the final whistle. KXRW and X-Ray were in the media room after the game to hear Neville’s thoughts on where the club stood after sinking to four, eight and two before the World Cup, as he had to balance frustration and accountability.
“You know, when, when you start in life, or the foundations of life is to compete, and if you don’t compete, you can’t win anything in life. And I think I’ve got an incredible bunch of talented players, but if, if talented players aren’t willing to do the jobs that San Jose players… San Jose was a brilliant example. We told them all week about what that team is about. It’s why they’ve got the points they’ve got, is because they do the things that, that really matter to win games of football. We’ve not done those things, and it’s why we are in the table. It’s why we’ve only got 14 points. I think it’s totally unacceptable Was there periods in the game where we could’ve scored? Yes. Was there periods in the game where we played some incredible football? Yes. But it actually, sorry for the language, it actually made jack****. I think that’s, uh, that’s a big reflection of the 14 games and, uh, you’ve gotta take responsibility. I take responsibility and accountability and, and we move forward.“
By the 80th minute of the match, members of the Timbers Army began chanting, “Fire Neville,” while signs calling for his dismissal appeared in the stands. Neville was asked about hearing those chants and seeing that frustration from supporters.
“It’s what we sign up for. You know, I’m not… It, there’s no pity party from me. They, them supporters deserve better than what we’ve give them in the first 14 games. I think if I was in that Timbers Army, I’d be doing the same. I’d want more from my team, the team that I support, the team that I love, the team that I’m passionate about, you know? The, the, the reason why we probably work hard all week is to pay for that ticket at the end of the week to come and watch the Portland Timbers play. Gotta take responsibility for it. I signed up for this role to… I signed up as a manager, as a player, and that comes with it. The support that we’ve had at this football club is the reason why I’m here, the reason why those players love playing at home, and, uh, you respect everything that they do.”
As Neville left the media room, the silence lingered, which was followed by a long, heavy sigh that seemed to say as much as anything he had just said at the podium, and captured the weight of where things stood. Just two days later, on Monday, May 25th, it was announced that both the Timbers and Neville had mutually agreed to part ways. Portland will now be looking for a new head coach, and Neville’s future, while uncertain, still holds promise.
To our experience and understanding, even as the results fell short and such a rocky start, Neville carried himself with respect towards those around him, and appeared to be respected by many inside the club.
Reporting on the Portland Timbers for KXRW and XRAY FM, I am Michael Sarno.