BEAVERTON, Ore. – It may not have been the ending envisioned when the Portland Timbers signed Gaston Fernandez to great fanfare at the outset of the 2014 MLS season.
But the club viewed ther parting of ways by mutual consent Monday as the best for both parties. Fernandez wanted playing time, and with an increasingly crowded attacking corps, that would likely be harder and harder to come by for the veteran Argentine forward.
“Everywhere in the world, players come and go,” head coach Caleb Porter said Tuesday at the team facility. “You see it all the time. You’ve seen it in this league, all year, especially with a few teams recently. Sometimes it’s the club’s choice, sometimes it’s the player’s choice; in this case it’s mutual.”
Despite a pedigree that included stays in Argentina's and Mexico’s top flights prior to his arrival in the Rose City, the 31-year-old never found a consistent spot in the Timbers’ lineup. Of his 53 appearances, less than half were starts (23). He scored seven goals in 32 games last season, and had two goals and two assists in 21 games this year.
He didn’t get his first start this season until May 27 against D.C. United, a game in which he recorded the assist on the game’s lone goal in Portland’s 1-0 win. Porter said it was a matter of never quite finding the right fit positionally, with Fernandez most comfortable as a second forward – a position not needed in Portland’s 4-2-3-1 formation – or attacking midfielder, normally manned by the Timbers’ offensive lynchpin Diego Valeri.
“I think a lot of it is positional,” Porter said. “He played a lot when Valeri was out and did a really nice job. But he’s pretty much a 10 or a second forward. We moved Valeri wide at times, but Valeri’s best spot is at that 10 position, and that’s what we’re going to go with. That means Gaston’s going to be on the bench, and ultimately he’s a player that wants to play.”
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And with the addition of fellow Argentine attacker Lucas Melano two weeks ago, Fernandez’s status as a late-game substitute was even in question. Since Melano joined the team, Fernandez subbed on and played 12 minutes July 25 against FC Dallas and was left out of the team for their last game Saturday against San Jose Earthquakes.
“We leave on good terms. In fact he used the gym today, and we shake hands on the way out and wish him all the best,” Porter said. “He’s contributed to this club, and he’s made an impact, but we felt it was the right decision.”
Dan Itel covers the Timbers for MLSsoccer.com.
