Velde scores twice as Timbers beat St. Louis 3-2 to stay in playoff hunt (Oct. 29)
Quick Read
The Portland Timbers beat St. Louis City SC 3-2 on Wednesday night in St. Louis, their second straight win.
Kristoffer Velde scored twice and assisted David Da Costa's goal as Portland built a 3-0 lead before holding on.
At 11-14-7, Portland is two points behind the final Western Conference playoff spot with two games left, according to the Associated Press.
The Timbers host the Houston Dynamo on Sunday at Providence Park in their last home game of the regular season.
ST. LOUIS - The Timbers' season is still breathing. Kristoffer Velde scored a goal in each half and set up another as Portland beat St. Louis City SC 3-2 on Wednesday night at Energizer Park, keeping its MLS playoff hopes alive with two regular-season games to go.
It was Portland's second win in a row, coming four days after a 3-2 home win over Charlotte FC that needed a 96th-minute goal from Alexander Aravena, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported. St. Louis, already in the playoffs, came in as the recent U.S. Open Cup winner, according to OregonLive.
How it happened
Neither team scored for more than 40 minutes. In the 42nd minute, Velde finished a move involving Cole Bassett and Kamal Miller to put Portland ahead, according to the Associated Press. Velde and Jimer Fory then set up Da Costa three minutes into first-half stoppage time for a 2-0 halftime lead.
Da Costa returned the favor three minutes after the break, feeding Velde for his second goal of the night and a 3-0 Portland lead. Velde now has nine goals and nine assists in his first full MLS season, and Da Costa has six goals and nine assists, the AP reported.
St. Louis pushed back. Daniel Edelman scored in the 58th minute, and Rafael Navarro added a goal in the first minute of stoppage time to make it 3-2. Miller picked up a second yellow card a few minutes later, and Portland held on with 10 men. Goalkeeper James Pantemis made four saves.
The win was only Portland's third in 16 road games this season, according to the AP. St. Louis has now lost three straight.
The playoff picture
Portland is two points behind the final playoff place in the Western Conference with two matches left, the AP reported. The Timbers host the Houston Dynamo on Sunday, Nov. 1, at 6 p.m. at Providence Park, per the club's printed 2026 schedule, in their final home game of the regular season. Miller will miss that match after his red card.
Portland closes the regular season on Decision Day, Saturday, Nov. 7, at Austin FC, with Western Conference matches kicking off at 4 p.m. Pacific, according to the club. The MLS Cup Playoffs begin Nov. 18 with wild-card matches between each conference's eighth and ninth seeds, according to MLS.
Thorns note
The Portland Thorns have already clinched an NWSL playoff spot, the club says on its playoffs page, for the 10th straight season. The Thorns close the regular season Sunday, Nov. 1, at the Houston Dash, per the NWSL schedule. NWSL quarterfinals are set for Nov. 6 through 8, according to CBS Sports. Willamette News will have more when Portland's playoff opponent is set.
Sources
Associated Press via TSN: Kristoffer Velde helps Timbers stay in playoff hunt with victory over St. Louis City (Oct. 28, 2026)
The Oregonian/OregonLive: Portland Timbers beat St. Louis to keep playoff hopes alive (Oct. 28, 2026)
Portland Timbers: Timbers announce schedule for 2026 MLS regular season
Portland Timbers: 2026 printable schedule
MLSsoccer.com: Audi 2026 MLS Cup Playoffs schedule
Portland Thorns: Playoffs; NWSL: 2026 Portland Thorns schedule; CBS Sports: 2026 NWSL playoff schedule
Cover photo: Providence Park, Portland Timbers vs. Columbus Crew, 2016-03-05, by Tech. Sgt. John Hughel, 142nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs, via Wikimedia Commons, public domain
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