"[Diego Chara's] lived through these types of experiences himself and he knows what it's like to be alone in a new place," said [Victor] Arboleda through an interpreter. "He just does it out of the goodness of his heart."
Soccer writer Jamie Goldberg profiles Portland Timbers midfielder Diego Chara in a new story in the Oregonian that covers the veteran MLS player's growth as one of the team's leaders. With 178 appearances for the team–177 of them starts–over the past six seasons, Chara has grown into a player keen to share his experiences with teammates--especially new ones with similar cultural backgrounds such as David Guzmán, who is from Costa Rica, and fellow Colombian Victor Arboleda.
The story explains Chara's eagerness to help:
"I try to teach them about my experience," Chara said. "I try to help them with some movements on the field. I explain what the coach wants from them. For me, it's important because when I was here my first year, there were people that helped me. I think this is now my role in the team."
Read the whole piece over at Oregonlive.com.
