Kevin Kelsy earns brace in match
PORTLAND, Ore. – The Portland Timbers dropped a 3-2 result against FC Cincinnati on Saturday night at Providence Park. After trailing 3-0 in the first half, a Kevin Kelsy brace nearly surged the Timbers to a comeback but fell short. Next up, the Timbers will travel to play expansion side San Diego FC for the first time on Saturday, August 23, at Snapdragon Stadium.
Kelsy Brace
With a brace in tonight’s match, Kevin Kelsy recorded his sixth and seventh goals of the 2025 regular season to take the team lead in scoring. Notably, it marked his second brace this season after scoring two for Portland on the road against Sporting Kansas City on April 13. Kelsy surpassed his previous single-season scoring record of six goals with FC Cincinnati in 2024.
Final Stretch
With eight matches to go in the campaign, Portland will travel for five matches and host three over the next two and a half months. The Timbers have matches at San Diego FC (8/23), at Minnesota United FC (8/30), vs. New York Red Bulls (9/13), at Houston Dynamo (9/20), at Vancouver Whitecaps FC (9/24), vs. FC Dallas (9/27), at Seattle Sounders FC (10/4), and vs.San Diego FC (10/18).
Goal-Scoring Plays
CIN – Kevin Denkey (Pavel Bucha), 10th minute: Kevin Denkey received a ball running into the left side of the box and controlled it with a touch before netting a low right-footed shot.
CIN – Pavel Bucha (Evander), 25th minute: Pavel Bucha dribbled into the right side of the box and drove a right-footed shot inside of the near post.
CIN – Evander (Matt Miazga), 36th minute: Evander dribbled up the middle of the field to the semi-circle and fired a long-range shot into the upper-right corner of the goal.
POR – Kevin Kelsy (Ariel Lassiter), 38th minute: After receiving a through pass from Ariel Lassiter in the box, Kevin Kelsy cut the ball back to lose two defenders and slotted a left-footed shot into the far corner of the net.
POR – Kevin Kelsy (Penalty Kick), 68th minute: Kevin Kelsy buried a right-footed shot to the keeper’s lower right post from the penalty-kick spot.
Notes
- The Timbers (10-9-7, 37pts) remain in sixth place in the Western Conference.
- With a brace in tonight’s match, Kevin Kelsy recorded his sixth and seventh goals of the 2025 regular season to take the team lead in scoring.
- It marked Kelsy’s second brace this season after scoring two for Portland on the road against Sporting Kansas City SC on April 13.
- Kelsy’s brace came as the 64th in club history.
- Kelsy surpassed his previous single-season scoring record of six goals with FC Cincinnati in 2024.
- With his second goal coming from the penalty spot, Kelsy converted Portland’s third penalty kick of the season.
- Ariel Lassiter tallied his first MLS goal contribution for the Timbers with an assist in tonight’s match.
- With eight matches to go before the end of the current campaign, Portland will travel for five matches and host three over the next two and a half months.
- Portland will play four of its next five matches on the road.
- The Timbers’ next five matches are at San Diego (8/23), at Minnesota (8/30), vs. NY Red Bulls (9/13), at Houston (9/20), and at Vancouver (9/24).
- Portland will travel to play expansion side San Diego FC for the first time in MLS on Saturday, August 23 at Snapdragon Stadium.
Next Game
The Timbers will go on the road to play expansion side San Diego FC for the first time at Snapdragon Stadium on Saturday, August 23. Kickoff for the match is scheduled for 7:30pm PT on MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV app in English and Spanish with local radio broadcasts on 750 The Game (English) and La GranD 1150AM/93.5 FM (Spanish).
Portland Timbers (10-9-7, 37pts) vs. FC Cincinnati (16-7-4, 52pts)
August 16, 2025 – Providence Park (Portland, Ore.)
Scoring Summary:
CIN: Denkey (Bucha), 10
CIN: Bucha (Evander), 25
CIN: Evander (Miazga), 36
POR: Kelsy (Lassiter), 38
POR: Kelsy (penalty kick), 68
Misconduct Summary:
POR: Kelsy (caution), 13
CIN: Robinson (caution), 45+3
POR: Paredes (caution), 60
Lineups:
POR: GK Crépeau, D Mosquera, D Surman, D K. Miller © (Zuparic, 82), D Fory, D Ortiz (Paredes, 58), M Ayala (Mora, 85), F Lassiter (Fernandez, 82), F Antony, F Da Costa, F Kelsy
Substitutes Not Used: GK Pantemis, D E. Miller, M Smith, M Chara, F Guerra
TOTAL SHOTS: 26 (Antony, 9); SHOTS ON GOAL: 5 (Antony and Kelsy, 2); FOULS: 10 (four players tied, 2); OFFSIDES: 2; CORNER KICKS: 6; SAVES: 2
CIN: GK Celentano, D Hagglund, D Robinson (Hadebe, 78), D Miazga ©, D Engel, D Yedlin (Powell, 90), M Evander, M Bucha, M Jimenez (Valenzuela, 90), F Denkey (Kamara, 58), F Echenique (Dem, 58)
Substitutes Not Used: GK Louro, D Flores, D Smith, F Chirila, F Kamara
TOTAL SHOTS: 11 (four players tied, 2); SHOTS ON GOAL: 5 (Denkey and Bucha, 2); FOULS: 12 (Evander, 3); OFFSIDES: 1; CORNER KICKS: 3; SAVES: 3
Referee: Rubiel Vasquez
Assistant Referees: Kali Smith, Kevin Lock
Fourth Official: Allen Chapman
VAR: Kevin Stott
Attendance: 25,218
