Giovanni Savarese will not coach the Portland Timbers in Wednesday night's U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal match at LAFC's Banc of California Stadium due to an urgent health matter concerning his father in Italy, the club revealed via their Twitter account. Savarese has joined his family in Italy.
Carlos Llamosa, Savarese's assistant, will serve as the acting head coach for the evening against LAFC.
Savarese was born in Venezuela to Italian parents, who both moved back to Italy shortly before Savarese then moved to the U.S. to play college soccer at LIU.
He later spent five years playing forward in MLS, and is in his second year coaching the Timbers after guiding them to an MLS Cup appearance in 2018.
