MLS Portland Timbers

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

Published on March 18, 2023 under 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 Diego Gutierrez, who worked the ball around the Atlanta defender and chipped it up to the center of the six-yard box. Tega Ikoba met the ball in the air and placed a header into the near-post side netting.

ATL - Thiago Almada (Derrick Etienne, Andrew Gutman), 86th minute: Andrew Gutman played the ball up the left wing for Derrick Etienne, who dribbled inside and found Almada's feet with his back to goal. Almada turned with the ball and tucked a low shot inside of the right post.

Notes

The Timbers have scored in each of their last 24 MLS matches (37 goals), a new club record for Portland.

Portland's 24-match streak marks the longest active streak in MLS.

Playing 90 minutes in tonight's match, Diego Chara has logged 30,001 MLS regular season minutes played in his career with the Timbers.

D. Chara 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, 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.

Tega Ikoba made his 2023 season debut as a second-half substitute.

Ikoba scored his first MLS goal in the match.

At 19 years and 216 days old, Ikoba is the youngest goal scorer in Timbers MLS history.

In his third MLS appearance overall, Ikoba scored his first goal in his 28th career minute logged for Portland.

Diego Gutierrez notched his first MLS assist in his fifth career appearance.

Eryk Williamson tallied his second assist of the season. He is the only Portland player with two assists thus far in the campaign.

Five different Timbers players have scored a goal this season (Evander, Ikoba, Zac McGraw, Juan David Mosquera, Cristhian Paredes) and five have tallied an assist (Yimmi Chara, Nathan Fogaça, Gutierrez, Mosquera, Williamson).

Pablo Bonilla made his 2023 season debut as a second-half substitute.

Aljaz Ivacic made his 2023 season debut, starting in net for Portland.

With only six players (including a goalkeeper) on the bench to start the match, Portland had eight players listed as unavailable ahead of today's game.

Next Game

The Timbers will return home to host the LA Galaxy at Providence Park on Saturday, March 25. Kickoff is set for 1:30 p.m. (Pacific) and will be streamed live on MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV app in English and Spanish as well as local radio broadcasts, 750 The Game (English) and La GranD 1150AM/93.5 FM (Spanish).

Portland Timbers (1-3-0, 3pts) vs. Atlanta United FC (3-0-1, 10pts)

March 18, 2023 - Mercedes Benz Stadium (Atlanta, Ga.)

Goals by Half 1 2 F

Portland Timbers 0 1 1

Atlanta United FC 2 3 5

Scoring Summary:

ATL: Wiley (Almada), 25

ATL: Almada, 45+5

ATL: Giakoumakis (Wiley), 59

ATL: Araújo (Almada), 75

POR: Ikoba (Gutierrez, Williamson), 83

ATL: Almada (Etienne, Gutman), 86

Misconduct Summary:

POR: Mabiala (caution), 45+3

POR: Bravo (caution), 61

POR: Williamson (caution), 67

POR: McGraw (caution), 68

ATL: Sosa (caution), 81

Lineups:

POR: GK Ivacic, D Bravo (Rasmussen, 69), D McGraw (Ikoba, 76), D Mabiala, D Zuparic, D Mosquera (Bonilla, 82), M Moreno (Loría, 69), M D. Chara, M Williamson, F Niezgoda (Gutierrez, 76), F Fogaça

Substitutes Not Used: GK Bingham

TOTAL SHOTS: 9 (three players tied, 2); SHOTS ON GOAL: 3 (Ikoba, 2); FOULS: 11 (four players tied, 2); OFFSIDES: 4; CORNER KICKS: 3; SAVES: 3

ATL: GK Guzan, D Gutman, D Sanchez, D Robinson (Abram, 89), D Lennon, M Ibarra (Sosa, 73), M Sejdic (Fortune, 77), M Wiley (Etienne, 73), M Almada, M Araújo, F Giakoumakis (Berry, 77)

Substitutes Not Used: GK Westberg, D Hernandez, M Wolff, M Chol

TOTAL SHOTS: 18 (Almada, 6); SHOTS ON GOAL: 8 (three players tied, 2); FOULS: 20 (Wiley, 4); OFFSIDES: 7; CORNER KICKS: 3; SAVES: 2

Referee: Ted Unkel

Assistant Referees: Corey Parker, Ian Mckay

Fourth Official: Ben Pilgrim

VAR: Jair Marrufo

Attendance: 42,648

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