PORTLAND, Ore. – Timbers2 have signed 14 players ahead of the 2023 MLS NEXT Pro season, the club announced today.
Four players (Julian Bravo, Victor Griffith, Dawson McCartney, Selmir Miscic) are returning for their second MLS NEXT Pro season with T2. The club signed all four of its 2023 MLS Superdraft picks (Noel Caliskan, Ryan Bilichuk, Jaden Jones-Riley, Tyler Clegg) to T2 contracts. Six new players (Keesean Ferdinand, Carver Miller, Joshua Penn, Blake Pope, Michael Vang, Tristan Weber) have signed new contracts with the club. Players from the Portland Timbers’ first team and academy will supplement the roster, subject to change ahead of each game.
Bilichuk, a 22-year-old goalkeeper, was selected in the second round (No. 44 overall) by the Timbers in the 2023 MLS Superdraft out of Elon University. Bilichuk made one appearance for the Timbers at the 2023 Coachella Valley Invitational preseason tournament, logging 27 minutes against Toronto FC on February 15.
Bravo, a 22-year-old defender, was drafted by Portland in the second round of the 2022 MLS SuperDraft. In the 2022 MLS NEXT Pro campaign, Bravo made 19 appearances (18 starts) for T2, recording one assist in his debut season.
Caliskan, a 22-year-old midfielder, was selected in the first round (No. 15 overall) by the Timbers in the 2023 MLS Superdraft out of Loyola Marymount University. Caliskan made three appearances for Portland at the 2023 Coachella Valley Invitational preseason tournament, earning a start against Toronto FC on February 15 and coming off the bench in the matches against LA Galaxy (February 12) and NYCFC (February 18).
Clegg, a 22-year-old defender, was drafted in the third round (No. 85 overall) by Portland in the 2023 MLS Superdraft out of James Madison University. Clegg made two appearances for the Timbers at the 2023 Coachella Valley Invitational preseason tournament, coming off the bench against Toronto FC on February 15 and against NYCFC on February 18.
Ferdinand, a 19-year-old defender, joins T2 from the Montreal Impact. Ferdinand signed a homegrown contract with the Impact in 2020 at age 16, making him the youngest signing in Montreal’s history. While on loan from the Impact, Ferdinand made 17 appearances for Atlético Ottawa in the Canadian Premier League in 2021 and another 17 appearances in 2022 with the CF Montreal U23s.
Griffith, a 22-year-old midfielder, returns for a second season with T2 after making 19 appearances (all starts) in the 2022 MLS NEXT Pro season. Prior to signing with the club, he recorded 27 appearances for Liga Panameña de Fútbol side C.D. Árabe Unido in the 2021-2022 season, scoring one goal. Griffith also featured for Santos de Guápiles FC in Costa Rica, playing in 43 matches over four seasons (2018-2021).
Jones-Riley, a 22-year-old defender, was drafted in the third round (No. 73 overall) by the Timbers in the 2023 MLS Superdraft out of the University of Dayton. Jones-Riley made a substitute appearance for the first team at the 2023 Coachella Valley Invitational preseason tournament, playing 45 minutes against Toronto FC on February 15.
McCartney, a 24-year-old forward, was selected by the Timbers in the second round (No.43 overall) of the 2021 MLS SuperDraft out of Notre Dame. Returning for a second year, McCartney played 22 matches (21 starts) for T2 in the 2022 campaign, logging a team-high 1,863 minutes and registering three goals and four assists in MLS NEXT Pro competition.
Miller, an 18-year-old goalkeeper, enters his first MLS Next Pro season with T2. Previously, Miller joined Hallescher FC U19s in the summer of 2022 after spending two years with Arminia Bielefeld’s U17 and U19 groups.
Miscic, a 20-year-old forward, returns for a second MLS NEXT Pro season with T2. In 2022, Miscic led the team in appearances (23), assists (6) and points (12). Prior to joining the club, Miscic signed a first-team contract with the Philadelphia Union in March of 2021, and was loaned to North Carolina FC for the remainder of the USL League One season.
Penn, a 22-year-old forward, joins T2 from MLS NEXT Pro side Chicago Fire II. In the 2022 campaign, Penn made 20 appearances (14 starts) for Fire II, tallying seven goals and four assists for a team-best 18 points. Penn was selected 10th overall in the 2021 MLS SuperDraft by Inter Miami CF, whom he signed a contract with ahead of the 2021 MLS season.
Pope, a 19-year-old midfielder, signs with the club after playing the 2022 MLS Next Pro campaign for North Texas SC. Pope played in 23 matches for North Texas, starting 13 and recording one assist in the regular season.
Vang, a 22-year-old midfielder, joins T2 after a championship-winning 2022 MLS NEXT Pro campaign with Columbus Crew 2. Vang made 22 appearances (8 starts) for Crew 2, tallying two goals and two assists in the 2022 season. Notably, Vang became the first Hmong professional soccer player in the U.S. when he signed with Forward Madison FC of USL League One ahead of the 2020 season.
Weber, a 22-year-old defender, made his MLS NEXT Pro debut midway through the 2022 season for Columbus Crew 2, going on to make seven appearances and six starts for the champion side. Weber started the year 2022 year with USL Championship team the Charleston Battery, playing 12 matches and starting in five.
T2 will kick off their 2023 MLS NEXT Pro season on the road against Vancouver Whitecaps 2 on Sunday, March 26 at 7 p.m. (Pacific).
