PORTLAND, Ore. —

Evander made his long-awaited return to Portland on Saturday, where he embraced a new role previously unfamiliar to him in the city: the villain.

Evander, a 27-year-old Brazilian national, previously played for two seasons with the Portland Timbers between 2023 and 2024. Advertisement

He then joined FC Cincinnati earlier this year in February in a cash-for-player trade that was worth $12 million. The exchange broke the record for the most expensive purchase between two MLS teams in the league's 31-year history.

The key roster move also came on the heels of 2023 league-wide MVP Lucho Acosta departing from the team only just a few days before. In bringing the Timbers midfielder to Cincinnati, the team was expressly hoping to have Evander fill the shoes of Acosta, with C

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