Mabiala departs Portland after eight seasons with the club
PORTLAND, Ore. – The Portland Timbers today announced that the club has mutually parted ways with defender Larrys Mabiala. Mabiala departs the club after eight seasons (2017-2024) with Portland.
“Larrys Mabiala has been nothing short of a consummate professional throughout his time with the Portland Timbers. He has had a massive influence on the culture within our group both on and off the field, and he should be celebrated by all for the impact he has had on this club,” said Timbers General Manager Ned Grabavoy. “His unselfish nature in putting the team first has seen him play the unsung hero role with the Green and Gold for years. Few players in Timbers history have been as reliable in big game moments as Larrys. The Portland Timbers organization want to express our gratitude for his commitment over the years, and we look forward to supporting Larrys in this next phase of his life.”
Mabiala, 36, joined Portland midway through the 2017 season from Turkish Super League side Kayserispor. In his seven years with the club, he recorded 12 goals and four assists in 179 appearances (156 starts) across all competitions for the Timbers. In Portland’s regular season history, Mabiala ranks eighth in appearances (152), sixth in games started (130) and sixth in minutes played (11,438). Additionally, his nine goals in league play are the most by any defender in club history.
“It’s been an amazing seven years here. I didn’t know what to expect when I first came here, but I was instantly surprised by how good the people of Portland are. The Timbers Army are always there to give us that extra energy we need playing in front of them. They are truly one of a kind and, for me, the one of the biggest things that I will take out from this experience,” said Mabiala. “My biggest goal was to bring a championship to Portland, and I’m sad that that wasn’t accomplished in my time here, but I’m still grateful that I was able to help the team with two Western Conference trophies, MLS is Back and one Championship match played in front of our fans. I’ve lived some amazing moments here that I’m very fond of, and that’s my biggest takeaway from this experience.”
The French defender competed in five consecutive postseasons for Portland from 2017-2021, tallying goals in back-to-back matches during the Timbers’ 2021 playoff run. Mabiala scored the game-tying goal against Minnesota United FC on Nov. 21 to spark a 3-1 comeback victory, and just days later went on to register the lone game-winning goal against the Colorado Rapids (Nov. 25) to send Portland to the Western Conference Championship. Notably, Mabiala played every minute of Portland’s two MLS Cup appearances in 2018 and 2021.
Mabiala also started and played all 90 minutes in six of Portland’s seven matches in the 2020 MLS is Back Tournament, including the final in which he scored a goal to help the team to a 2-1 win over Orlando City SC (Aug. 11) to claim the title and earn himself a spot on the MLS is Back Tournament Best XI.
