Diego Chará facts for kids
Chará with the Portland Timbers in 2015
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Diego Ferney Chará Zamora | ||
| Date of birth | 5 April 1986 | ||
| Place of birth | Cali, Valle del Cauca, Colombia | ||
| Height | 1.72 m | ||
| Playing position | Defensive midfielder | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Portland Timbers | ||
| Number | 21 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Deportes Quindío | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2004–2008 | Deportes Quindío | 124 | (2) |
| 2009 | América de Cali | 31 | (1) |
| 2010–2011 | Deportes Tolima | 51 | (5) |
| 2011– | Portland Timbers | 399 | (12) |
| National team | |||
| 2010–2011 | Colombia | 2 | (0) |
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Diego Ferney Chará Zamora, born on April 5, 1986, is a professional footballer from Colombia. He plays as a defensive midfielder, which means he helps protect his team's goal. Diego is also the captain for the Portland Timbers, a team in Major League Soccer (MLS) in the United States.
Contents
Club Career: From Colombia to MLS Star
Diego Chará started his football journey in Colombia. He began playing in the youth teams of Deportes Quindío. By 2004, he joined their main senior team. He quickly became a very important player for Quindío.
During his time with Quindío, he played in 124 league games and scored two goals. His great playing caught the eye of bigger clubs in Colombia. In 2009, he moved to América de Cali. He played 31 league games and scored one goal there.
The next year, Diego joined Deportes Tolima. He was a key player when his team reached the quarter-finals of the 2010 Copa Sudamericana. This is a big international football tournament in South America. The next season, he helped Tolima qualify for the 2011 Copa Libertadores, another major South American tournament.
In the 2011 Copa Libertadores, Chará played in seven games. He even made an assist in a 2-0 win against the strong Brazilian team, Corinthians. His excellent performance in this tournament made the Major League Soccer team, Portland Timbers, interested in him.
In April 2011, Diego Chará signed with the Portland Timbers. He became the club's first-ever "Designated Player." This means he was a special player whose salary didn't fully count against the team's salary cap, allowing teams to sign top talent.
On August 20, 2011, he scored his first goal in MLS. It happened just 78 seconds into a home game against Vancouver Whitecaps FC. This goal set a new record for the fastest goal ever scored for the Portland Timbers in MLS!
On March 19, 2023, Diego Chará made history again. He became only the second player in Major League Soccer to play more than 30,000 minutes for a single club. This shows how long and how well he has played for the Portland Timbers.
International Career: Playing for Colombia
Diego Chará also played for his home country, Colombia. He played two games for the senior national team. His first game for Colombia was on November 18, 2010. It was a friendly match against Peru.
Personal Life: A Family of Footballers
Football runs in Diego Chará's family! His older brother, Felipe Chará, and his younger brother, Yimmi Chará, are also professional footballers. Yimmi even played alongside Diego on the Portland Timbers team between 2020 and 2023.
In August 2019, Diego Chará became a naturalized United States citizen. Before that, he had a U.S. green card. This meant he was considered a domestic player for MLS team rules.
Honours: Trophies and Awards
Diego Chará has won many important titles and awards throughout his career, especially with the Portland Timbers.
Portland Timbers
- MLS Cup: 2015 (This is the championship trophy for Major League Soccer!)
- MLS is Back Tournament: 2020 (A special tournament played during the 2020 season)
- Western Conference (playoffs): 2015, 2018, 2021 (Winning the playoffs in their conference)
- Western Conference (regular season): 2013, 2017 (Finishing first in their conference during the regular season)
Individual Awards
- MLS All-Star: 2019 (Chosen as one of the best players in the league to play in the All-Star game)
- MLS Best XI: 2020 (Named as one of the top 11 players in the entire league for that year)
See also
In Spanish: Diego Chará para niños
