PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Portland Timbers midfielder Diego Chara plans to play during Major League Soccer's sprint season next spring but then he'll retire from the club he joined in 2011.
Chara, 40, has played for a single club longer than any other MLS player in history, appearing in 450 league matches with the Timbers. In his 16th season with Portland, he believes he can still contribute to the club.
“I think the performance I had during the season gave me that confidence, and as well the support of my teammates, coaching staff, by the club, too, that gave me the strength to continue,” he said in announcing his decision Monday.
MLS will play a 14-game regular season in early 2027 before the league switches to a schedule that better aligns with those of its international counterparts. The sprint season will run from February to May, with each of the league’s 30 teams playing 14 games against conference opponents before single-elimination playoffs.
The league will then turn to a 2027-28 season that kicks off in July. The playoffs and league championship will be played in May 2028.
Chara, who joined the Timbers in their inaugural season after playing professionally in his native Colombia, is now a fixture in Portland, known for his broad smile and a vast collection of yellow cards. He holds the ongoing league record for most career yellows with 130.
“Being for this long with the team, being one of the so-called original Timbers, I think this is the best way to finish this career," he said.
During his tenure with the Timbers, the team won the 2015 MLS championship, three Western Conference titles and the MLS is Back tournament in 2020. They’ve been MLS Cup runners-up twice, in 2018 and 2021.
“Loyalty in football is not easy to achieve, and to do it for that long time speaks by itself,” Timbers coach Martí Cifuentes said about Chara. “But then having the opportunity to work with him in a daily basis has been fantastic. His level of professionalism, how much he cares for the teammates, for the organization, for the club, on the pitch, he’s amazing.”
Portland is 10-14-7 this season and currently under the playoff line in 11th place in the Western Conference with three games remaining in the regular season. The team has undergone some changes this season, with the dismissal of coach Phil Neville and the addition of Cifuentes.
But Chara has been a constant.
“I grew up with the team, you know, together from the first year in MLS, making the first final, being a champion with the team. I mean, too many good phases and a lot of good memories,” he said. “I think it has been a great journey with the team.”
See AP’s full soccer coverage here
FILE - Portland Timbers midfielder Diego Chará (21) argues a call during an MLS soccer game against the Vancouver Whitecaps, Feb. 23, 2025, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Amanda Loman, File)
FILE - Portland Timbers midfielder Diego Chará kicks the ball during the first half of an MLS soccer match against Sporting Kansas City, April 13, 2025, in Kansas City, Kan. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Golden State Valkyries beat the Atlanta Dream 64-55 to take a 3-2 lead in the WNBA Finals.
THIS IS AN APNewsAlert. Check back for updates. AP's earlier story is below.
Natalie Nakase saw it in her team's much-improved body language — shoulders back and head ups. Golden State's huddle got tighter as the close-knit Valkyries came together.
The second-year coach believes much of that had to do with her own better messaging and delivery for a Game 4 win at Atlanta that evened the best-of-seven WNBA Finals at 2-2 going back to the Bay Area.
Point guard Veronica Burton believes everyone could see it, because it's tough not to notice player's head down or visible disappointment with a missed shot — and that all of that can be just as contagious as a positive swing in a game.
“You guys probably can even see it on court. You pick up on it. You see when your teammate's head is down, you see when maybe someone's not as engaged after missing a shot," Burton said before Game 5. “It's little things like that that can trickle down to someone else and seep into each other. So it's all of us, it's not just one person. When things don't go our way, how do we respond and how do we react? All of that matters.”
Golden State hopes to continue that positive momentum as it takes on Angel Reese and Atlanta again in Game 5 with support from the hostile, noisy “Ballhalla” crowd at Chase Center.
Dream coach Karl Smesko realizes how hard it is for Reese to dominate every game against the Valkyries and their stingy defense. She did it here in winning Game 2 to salvage a split on Golden State's home floor.
Reese had 30 points and 16 rebounds in last Monday's 79-65 victory that evened the series.
“I think you’ll see an energized Angel. I think she’ll play great today,” Smesko said. “In the games that we won she had historically great performances. That’s not easy to do every game against a tremendous defense like Golden State.”
The Valkyries changed up their lineup for Game 4 with Nakase inserting Tiffany Hayes and Kaila Charles into the starting five — and she stayed with those two Monday night.
And if you ask any of them, who starts the game isn't an issue. Nakase is challenging herself to make sure everyone is ready to contribute.
"It's on me to get them to play with a sense of fight that they play connected and I thought they did a great job in Game 4," Nakase said, before adding: “Our team is our strength. We've said strength in numbers. Anyone can close, anyone can start, anyone can come off the bench, anyone can finish the game. It's just so valuable that we can change our rotations, we can change our lineups, that's what's kind of dangerous about our team. It's hard to scout when you have so many options, and so that's what I love.”
Earlier Monday, the league announced Game 6 would be played at 17,000-seat State Farm Arena in Atlanta starting at 12:30 p.m. EDT on Thursday.
“I’d like to see it be a national holiday for all WNBA championship games so whatever somebody can do," Smesko said. "I hope everybody gets to see it somehow and I know that for some people it’s not realistic, they have jobs and won’t be able to make it. So I’m disappointed for that but I’m really hopeful that as many people can see the game as possible.”
See AP’s full WNBA coverage here
Golden State Valkyries forward Gabby Williams (1) hugs Golden State Valkyries guard Kaila Charles (6) after Game 4 of the WNBA basketball finals on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
Atlanta Dream guard Rhyne Howard (10) attempts to shoot against Golden State Valkyries center Kiah Stokes (41) in the second half during Game 4 of the WNBA basketball finals on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
Golden State Valkyries forward Gabby Williams (1) high fives fans after Game 4 of the WNBA basketball finals against the Atlanta Dream on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
Streamers fall from the rafters following the Golden State Valkyries victory over the Atlanta Dream in Game 4 of the WNBA basketball finals against the Atlanta Dream, Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026, in Atlanta. (Dan Hernandez/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)
