BEAVERTON, Ore. – Diego Chara is a player more well-known for his toughness in the tackle than his prowess in front of goal.
Since joining the Portland Timbers for its inaugural season in 2011, Chara has scored just six regular season goals. However, the diminutive Colombian midfielder has scored two goals – a third of his MLS regular-season career total – in just his last three matches.
In mid-October, Timbers head coach Caleb Porter adjusted the team’s formation and started Chara as a single-pivot—the lone player responsible for patrolling the space between the defensive and midfield lines—behind central midfielders Darlington Nagbe and Diego Valeri. While the move freed up the two attacking players, it also unleashed Chara to play a more calculated two-way game.
Chara possesses the perfect instinct for when to get forward and when to stay back and help defend.
“When I see the space, the counter-attack, sometimes Darlington Nagbe or Diego Valeri stay back and I go forward in [that] moment, because [there's] a lot of space and I like to join the attack,” Chara explained. “I think that moment is when I decide to attack.”
The Colombian also has shown an almost preternatural understanding of his defensive responsibilities, something that should come as no surprise to Timbers fans who have watched Chara wreak havoc on opposing midfields for years.
“Sometimes there's so much space [to] cover, but I feel good because in that position I can keep the balance [between] defensive and attacking midfield,” he said of his role. “I think the real key for us is [to] keep the ball.”
Against Vancouver in the second leg of their Audi 2015 MLS Cup Playoff series, the Timbers did exactly that, circulating 411 passes and maintaining a majority of the possession. Chara did his part to preserve the shutout, making 11 defensive recoveries, three clearances, and two timely interceptions. All this as well as contributing the game's final goal on the other end of the field.
Chara says that he's able to cover so much ground because of intelligent communication with his midfield partners, Nagbe and Valeri. He's constantly vocalizing his position to his teammates so that they know when he's got their backs and when he's about to bomb forward in the attack.
LISTEN: Diego Chara on Talk Timbers
“When I say 'cover,' Darlington and Valeri go forward,” he said.
The new freedom afforded Chara has so far paid off. In the win over Vancouver, Chara completed 48 of his 55 attempted passes for a completion rate of over 87 percent. In the regular season 5-2 win over the LA Galaxy, just one match after the switch to the single-pivot, Chara recorded his most dominant statistical performance of the season, touching the ball 118 times and completing an astonishing 83 of 88 attempted passes.
While FC Dallas present a formidable opponent—one that he himself acknowledges is “a good team”—Chara will likely be the key to shutting down Dallas's attacking engine, midfielder Mauro Diaz, next Sunday (4:30pm PT, FOX Sports 1). Since making his positional switch last month, Chara has more than shown he is up to that task.
