Diego Valeri, head-to-toe in uniform for photographs as part of Timbers media day, settled into a chair inside the club level of Providence Park and gazed out the window for a long beat. His brown eyes flickered as he took in a scene he’s processed countless times since he arrived in Portland in 2013: the interior of the stadium, empty now and with more capacity than existed when he arrived. He contemplated for a few moments in silence.



The start of MLS training camp is a reflective time for everybody. The end of a long winter spent away from the game combined with the promise of an unblemished new campaign encourages introspection. But for Valeri, there was more to it than that.



The last time the Timbers played a competitive game here, last year’s regular-season finale against San Jose, Valeri wasn’t down there on the field but at eye level from where he’s sitting now, up in the corner suites. Nursing a minor injury, it was unclear back in...