Phil Neville’s MLS return gets off to the perfect start with his Portland Timbers beating the Colorado Rapids 4-1 as he looks to salvage his reputation after Inter Miami sacking

Phil Neville passed his debut as the new head coach of the Portland Timbers with flying colors, crushing the Colorado Rapids, 4-1, in their first game of the 2024 season.

In Saturday’s game at Providence Park, the Timbers took a 4-0 halftime lead before the Rapids’ Calvin Harris broke their clean sheet in the 55th minute.

Portland opened the scoring early when Eryk Williamson got on the board nine minutes after the opening whistle. Antony then scored consecutive goals in the 14th and 29th. Just before intermission, Colorado’s Sam Vines added to the score with an own goal.

The victory is Neville’s first since being sacked by former teammate David Beckham at Inter Miami. His sacking in June came a month before the Herons landed Lionel Messi in a blockbuster signing.

With Messi’s arrival, Inter Miami hired fellow Argentinian Tata Martino to replace Neville at the helm of Fort Lauderdale.

The Timbers were up 4-0 at halftime before the Colorado Rapids scored in the 55th minute.

Timbers forward Antony led the game in scoring with consecutive goals in the 14th and 29th minutes.

Neville was announced as the Timbers’ new head coach in November after signing a multi-year contract through the 2026 season.

“I’m hugely excited about the challenge ahead and from the first moment I met the staff I knew it was the right opportunity for me, the right club for me and the right city for me,” Neville said following his announcement.

“The fans are the most important part of this football club with their intensity and support, and I think this trip will be something special. “I have great memories of visiting Portland, which reminds me of my hometown of Manchester, and I can’t wait for my family to experience this beautiful city.”

After a memorable playing career that saw him appear in 505 matches between Manchester United and Everton, Neville made the transition to manager. He managed the England women’s team from 2018 to 2021 before moving to the United States for Major League Soccer.

Neville looks to help the Timbers bounce back after an 11-10-13 season in 2023 that saw them finish 10th in the Western Conference.

Before missing the playoffs the past two seasons, Portland made the postseason for five consecutive years, including MLS Cup appearances in 2018 and 2021. The Timbers also won their first and only MLS title in 2015.

Neville and the Timbers will head east for their next two games to face DC United on March 2 and New York City FC on the 9th.