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Portland Timbers forward Jack McInerney (99) during the Portland Timbers' 3-1 win over the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday, April 16, 2016 at Providence Park.

(Pete Christopher/The Oregonian)

The Portland Timbers have waived forward Jack McInerney, Timbers coach Caleb Porter announced at a press conference Wednesday.

McInerney joined the Timbers ahead of the 2016 season and went on to make 24 appearances (eight starts) and score five goals during his one season in Portland. The 24-year-old scored three of his five goals in 2016 in the first month and a half of the season, but struggled to find the net in the second half of the year.

"Difficult decision, but we just felt it was the right decision for our club," Porter said. "I really enjoyed working with Jack. He's a good player, a good professional, but you have to make these decisions sometimes."

Portland's decision to waive McInerney was not a surprise. The Timbers already have sufficient depth at the striker position behind Fanendo Adi. Darren Mattocks is expected to see more minutes at the No. 9 position off the bench this year and 20-year-old Jeremy Ebobisse is in a position to compete for minutes on the field as well. By waiving McInerney, the Timbers also give themselves more flexibility to navigate the salary cap and sign a high quality center back, Porter said.

"In building our roster for the upcoming season, we've had to make some difficult decisions that provide us with necessary cap space for projected additions," said Timbers general manager and president of soccer Gavin Wilkinson in a prepared statement. "We thank Jack for his services to the club, and we wish him all the best as he continues his career."

-- Jamie Goldberg | jgoldberg@oregonian.com

503-853-3761 | @jamiebgoldberg