Portland Timbers midfielder Diego Valeri (8) carries the Western Conference Championship Trophy over to the Timbers Army at Toyota Stadium. Valeri is now an analyst and announcer for Spanish broadcasts on MLS Season Pass for Apple TV.
Craig Mitchelldyer / Portland Timbers
For Portland Timbers fans, star midfielder Diego Valeri is a legend. Throughout nine seasons, the Timbers’ all-time goal scorer led the team to win the 2015 Major League Soccer Cup and was ultimately named the MLS MVP in 2017. Last summer, Valeri signed a one-day contract to retire as a Timber, cementing his legacy with the club. Now Valeri is an analyst and announcer for Spanish broadcasts on MLS Season Pass for Apple TV.
Valeri spoke with “All Things Considered” producer Donald Orr about his career with the Timbers, and what the future might hold for MLS.
The following transcript has been edited for length and clarity.
Orr: You’re a beloved player among Portland Timbers fans and across the league — you’re lovingly called ‘El Maestro!’ So what has your time with the team meant to you?
Valeri: Portland became my second home, actually. I’m still living there, my family loves the city, loves the club. My daughter grew up in Portland. I’m still involved with the club, with the city. I became a Portlander — it’s my house.
Orr: You’re still rooted in Portland, and you recently announced that you’d be an assistant coach for a community-owned club in the city. What do you hope to pass along to the next generation of players as you transition into coaching?
Valeri: First and foremost, you always try to give resources based on your experience and try to compete and develop — individually and collectively. Obviously I want [to] always be involved in the city, with the community through PDX [Football Club]. But I’m enjoying it a lot, doing it with Jorge Villafaña, [who] is a former teammate and it’s great. But basically it’s about that — to give more resources to the young people that’s coming to play the game in Portland and make them better.
Orr: What are your impressions so far on Phil Neville’s first year as Timbers head coach?
Valeri: Well, it’s not an easy season because Portland has been — twice these past two seasons — not making the playoff[s]. He’s arriving to a roster that they should work on. And actually, I think they’re doing it really well. The team looks good in terms of names, right? It’s well balanced and they have added good players. Sadly, in the last six games they didn’t win. It’s not easy. But we have been through those seasons where we didn’t start well, but then we got a championship. So you know, it’s a long season!
Diego Valeri, in an undated provided image. Valeri led the Portland Timbers to an MLS Cup in 2015, and is the all-time goal scorer for the club. Now, Valeri is a Spanish match analyst for MLS Season Pass.
Courtesy of Major League Soccer
Orr: You’ve joined MLS Season Pass’ Spanish language broadcast as a commentator. How does it feel to engage with the game in your own language, and what does it mean to bring MLS to Spanish-speaking fans here?
Valeri: It means a lot to me because it’s my new role. I transitioned from the professionalism of soccer to this role, which I never expected. It’s nice to me because in Spanish I can transfer my passion and my love for the game and for Major League Soccer in a better way. As you can notice, my English is not the best. It means a lot because they give me this chance to have a new career. Now is the best time in the MLS, in soccer for this country. I’m part of it, so I’m really thankful about it and I’m enjoying it. And I try to transfer all of those feelings to the viewers.
Orr: How do you think Lionel Messi’s arrival has changed the league and the overall interest in the sport here in North America?
Valeri: It has a huge impact. Messi’s arrival, not only in the amount of viewers all over the world, but for the young people — the young viewers, the people that [are] young and want to come and watch the league through his feet. He’s a role model. The kind of personality he has, not only because he’s the best player in the world. It’s the way he talks to the teammates, the way he talks to the media, the way his behavior is in the training. That’s why he’s the best too. So nobody plays the game like him.
Orr: And you and Messi are both from Argentina — are there any other Argentinian players that you’re really excited about?
Valeri: Of course! There’s plenty of Argentinian players in Major League Soccer. As you know, the reigning MVP of the league is Luciano Acosta, [he’s] playing for Cincinnati. Thiago Almada is another #10, playing for Atlanta, [and] is a World Cup champion already [at] 22 years old. It’s well-balanced between superstars’ names and young talent, that it’s going to brighten the future.
Orr: And what do you think that future looks like for the league?
Valeri: Next year San Diego FC is going to start competing in MLS. It’s pretty exciting because they’re willing to invest, to create a great team. So it’s pretty exciting and obviously having Messi in the league for a few years — so it’s fantastic.
