LAFC franchise-record shutout streak ends during loss at Portland
Kevin Kelsy scored his first goal this season in the sixth minute of stoppage time, Kristoffer Velde added a goal and an assist and the Portland Timbers beat LAFC 2-1 on Saturday to break a five-game winless streak.
LAFC (5-1-1) had its franchise-record 571-minute shutout streak end and suffered its first loss of the season. The club set the previous mark of 550 minutes in 2024.
The Timbers (2-4-1) won for the first time since a 3-2 home victory over Columbus in the season opener.
Brandon Bye played a long, arcing ball-in to Velde at the back post for a centering header and Kelsy tapped the go-ahead goal into a wide-open net.
Velde scored his third goal in the past four games to give the Timbers a 1-0 lead in the 32nd minute — the first goal conceded by LAFC this season. Velde, on the counter-attack, skipped a shot from the right edge of the penalty arc inside the back post.
Forward Son Heung-min and goalkeeper Hugo Lloris (rest) did not play for LAFC.
Jude Terry, a 17-year-old who made his first career start, scored his first MLS goal in the 49th minute. Matthew Evans, at the edge of the penalty box, tapped a backward pass to Terry for a rising first-touch shot that bent around the outstretched arm of goalkeeper James Pantemis and inside the back post to make it 1-1.
The 19-year-old Evans made his MLS debut.
Ryan Porteous appeared to have scored a goal with a header in the 87th minute but LAFC was ruled offside after VAR.
Goalkeeper Thomas Hasal made his first start this season — and his fourth appearance in three years for LAFC — but left the game in the 30th minute after a collision with teammate Artem Smoliokav. Cabral Carter made his MLS debut when the 21-year-old replaced Hasal.
Pantemis finished with four saves.