Timbers Fall 5-1 on the Road to Atlanta United FC

March 18, 2023 – Major League Soccer (MLS) – Portland Timbers News Release

ATLANTA, Ga. – The Portland Timbers fell 5-1 on the road to Atlanta United FC on Saturday night. Tega Ikoba tallied Portland’s lone goal of the match, marking his first in MLS play and making him the youngest goal scorer in Timbers history at 19 years old. Diego Chara also etched his name into history in the match, surpassing 30,000 MLS regular season minutes played, becoming the first MLS field player to hit that milestone with one club in league history.

Piece of Portland History

Tega Ikoba made his season debut as a second-half substitute, registering his first MLS goal just seven minutes after entering the match. At 19 years and 216 days old, Ikoba became the youngest goal scorer in Timbers history. Before Ikoba, Andrew Jean-Baptiste held the record for Portland at 19 years and 270 days old, scoring on March 12, 2012 against Philadelphia.

Diego Chara, Timbers Legend

Playing 90 minutes in tonight’s match, Diego Chara has logged 30,001 MLS regular season minutes played in his career with the Timbers. He is the 10th MLS field player to hit that milestone, and 15th overall including goalkeepers. Notably, D. Chara is the first MLS field player to play all 30,000 minutes with one club in league history, and the second overall behind Real Salt Lake goalkeeper Nick Rimando. Portland’s all-time leader in games played (342) and games started (337), D. Chara tied RSL’s Kyle Beckerman for the second-most games started for one club in MLS history with tonight’s appearance.

Goal-Scoring Plays

ATL – Caleb Wiley (Thiago Almada), 25th minute: Thiago Almada slipped a pass into the 18-yard box for Caleb Wiley, who took a touch and drilled a left-footed shot into the lower right-hand corner of the goal.

ATL – Thiago Almada, 45+5 minute: Almada fired an Atlanta free kick from distance, curling it into the upper-right hand corner of the net.

ATL – Georgios Giakoumakis (Caleb Wiley), 59th minute: Wiley dribbled down the left wing and served a cross towards the penalty spot for Georgios Giakoumakis to head into the back of the net.

ATL – Luiz Araújo (Thiago Almada), 75th minute: From the center circle, Almada floated the ball into the lane of Luiz Araújo at the top of the 18-yard box. Araújo controlled the ball and took a left-footed shot, finding the right side of the net.

POR – Tega Ikoba (Diego Gutierrez, Eryk Williamson), 83rd minute: Eryk Williamson sent a wide pass to the right-side endline to…