Portland Timbers to transfer Diego Valeri to Lanus, ending his MLS career

Timbers midfielder Diego Valeri walks off the field following Porltand’s loss to New York City FC in the 2021 MLS Cup at Providence Park in Portland, Oregon on Saturday, Dec. 11, 2021.
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“El Maestro” is going home.

The Portland Timbers have agreed to transfer Diego Valeri to Argentinian club Lanus, a team source confirmed to The Oregonian/OregonLive, signaling the end of his nine-year Major League Soccer tenure.

The move, first reported by mlssoccer.com, will send Valeri back to his boyhood club.

Valeri, who has been a mainstay in the Timbers’ lineup since 2013, leaves Portland as one of the most decorated and popular players in franchise history.

A creative, electric midfielder dubbed “El Maestro,” Valeri used his wizardry to shatter the Timbers record book, establishing club records in a host of statistical categories, including goals (86), assists (91), game-winning goals (26) and game-winning assists (23).

Valeri quickly emerged as a force in Portland after arriving in 2013, earning the MLS Newcomer of the Year award, before establishing himself as one of the best players in the league. A three-time MLS Best XI selection and four-time All-Star, Valeri had his best season in 2017, when he recorded 21 goals and 11 assists in 32 regular-season matches on the way to winning league MVP honors. He became just the second player in league history to surpass 20 goals and 10 assists in one season, and it included an unstoppable run in which he scored a goal in a league-record nine consecutive games.

Over the years, Valeri’s flair for the dramatic became legendary. Among his countless highlights, Valeri delivered the game-winning assist to Landon Donovan to help the 2014 MLS All-Stars beat Bayern Munich 2–1 and he also scored the fastest goal in MLS history, punching in a shot just 27 seconds into a match against the Columbus Crew.

That match just happened to be the 2015 MLS Cup, and the Timbers went on to win 2-1, earning their first championship. Valeri was named MLS Cup MVP.

During his nine years, the Timbers played for the MLS Cup three times, including in his final season. And in 2020, Valeri’s legacy was cemented when MLS named him to its “The 25 Greatest list,” which recognized the 25 most decorated and impactful players in league history.

But his production and role dropped off significantly last season, when he started just 10 of 29 matches and logged career-lows in goals (two) and assists (three). When the Timbers caught fire late in the season on the way to a surprise trip to the final, Valeri had been reduced to a bench player.

His final shot with the Timbers — a critical miss in a penalty shootout that contributed to a loss — marked an unjust ending to a remarkable career.

In moving Valeri to Lanus, the Timbers reportedly are receiving a transfer fee of roughly $175,000 and his 2022 salary will not count against their salary cap.

— Joe Freeman | jfreeman@oregonian.com | 503-294-5183 | @BlazerFreeman | Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories

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