This season's Portland Timbers have seen an increased focus on Youth Development, with the likes of Timbers academy players Sawyer Jura and Adolfo Enriquez making their MLS debuts. A player in the green and gold pipeline to keep an eye on is MLS Next All Star, Max Eisenberg. Eisenberg recently returned from the 2024 MLS Next All Star game, where he was the lone representative of the green and gold, and just the third Timbers academy player to play in the MLS Next All Star Game, with Sawyer Jura and Ian Shaul coming before him. Let's take a look at Eisenberg, who he is as a player, and why I think that he is the next young player to get a chance around Phil Neville and the first team.
Player Profile Name: Max Eisenberg Age: June 12th 2007 Foot: Right Team: Portland Timbers 2 Position: RW/LW Number: 84
Let's look at the data: (from MLS Next Pro) (Data from August 1 and prior) Games Played: 15 (14 Subs, 1 Start) Total Minutes: 279 (will share breakdown in following tweet) Pass %: 66.2 Assists: 0 Shots: 15 On Target: 4 Offsides: 3 Fouls: 17 Fouls Suffered: 5 Yellow Cards: 2
Technical: Having made 15 appearances for T2, Eisenberg is in a good place. An astute, quick thinking winger,Max shows advanced football maturity for a player of his age.
Having played in more of a substitute role this season, Eisenberg is capable of making an impact when he is on the pitch. When he plays, there is a sense of urgent calm, allowing for smart, methodical plays to happen.
An example of Max's technical maturity can be found during the 2022 edition of the Generation Adidas cup, where Max exposes the Valencia defense, steals the ball from the goalkeeper, and taps the ball in to put the Timbers U15's in the lead.
Eisenberg has only matured since his time on the Timber's U15 academy team, and it has shown. In his time with T2, Eisenberg has shown that he is capable of playing with players older than him, more physically developed, and who have more football experience.
Footballing wise, what stands out the most to me regarding Eisenberg is his ball control, his ability to work in tight spaces and his vision on the pitch. His one professional goal came off of a set piece, where he was able to make contact with the ball in a tight space and score
Regarding the Timbers youth, I expect Eisenberg to be given a chance by Phil Neville and team here in the near future. Eisenberg is part of the core group of players that makes up the Timbers future.
Alongside players like Noah Santos, Daniel Nunez, Adolfo Enriquez and Sawyer Jura, Eisenberg represents a new chapter of Timbers players who grew up playing in the Timbers youth system.
Across the MLS, the number of players who make first team debuts for the academies that they play for is relatively small in regards to the number of players in the league.
Regarding Portland's situation specifically, the fact that they have put increased efforts into creating a pathway for Academy players into the Timbers first team is encouraging, with Adolfo Enriquez and Sawyer Jura having made their first team debuts in 2024.
Eisenberg is in a good place. I expect his impact with T2 to continue to flourish, and I wouldn't be surprised if he makes an appearance with the first team in the next year and a half.
For Timbers fans, I think the fact that the club is making an effort to construct a pipeline should be positive signs for growth. The Timbers have a corp of talented youth, who have bright futures.