Kevin Kelsy gives Portland Timbers "crazy confidence boost" | OneFootball

By Jaime Uribarri

Losing his starting job might’ve been the best thing to happen to Kevin Kelsey – and the Portland Timbers.

Relegated to a substitute role for Saturday’s home fixture against previously unbeaten Supporters’ Shield leaders LAFC, the Venezuelan striker came on in the last minute and scored a second-half stoppage-time goal to give the Timbers a dramatic 2-1 win in front of their fans at Providence Park. 

"I knew Kevin was going to score,” head coach Phil Neville told reporters of Kelsey, who’d started the club’s previous two matches before playing a super-sub role on Matchday 7. 

“Because yesterday when I left him out, he said to me: 'The team is more important than me for this game tomorrow.

"... We've got that kind of culture."

Statement win

Kelsey played the hero at the perfect moment, ending a long goal-scoring drought to record his first tally of 2026. 

"I stayed calm and worked a lot," he said in Spanish. “And everything worked out positively - first for the team and then, obviously, for me, scoring my first goal. So I'm happy for that."

As bad as Kelsey needed Saturday’s result, so did the Timbers. 

Winless since their Matchday 1 victory over the Columbus Crew, Portland dropped the next four out of five games before welcoming arguably the league’s most dangerous side to Providence Park. 

And yet, even with the visitors rotating their squad ahead of Tuesday’s Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinal Leg 2 at LIGA MX’s Cruz Azul, the hosts achieved something no other team had previously done this year: beat LAFC. 

Additionally, they ended the Black & Gold's run of 571 minutes without conceding a goal, the fourth-longest single-season shutout streak in MLS history.

“That gives us a crazy confidence boost into the next games,” said Designated Player Kristoffer Velde, whose 32nd-minute opener was canceled out by a Jude Terry wonder strike.

“... We are building something really good and we're really close to being a really good team.... this was a huge step in the right direction."

Something to build on

The Timbers will hope to build on their newfound momentum when visiting Minnesota United FC on April 18 (8:30 pm ET | Apple TV). 

"It looked like we needed that one," said Velde. “Because I think everybody got the belief back. We were struggling a little bit, a little bit low."

Added Kelsey: “Fortunately, luck was on our side today. We got the three points and the team took another breath.

"I think the next games will be very important, and we'll play them with a lot more confidence."

WATCH: At the death! Timbers stun LAFC with late winner