Velde's double and assist lift Timbers past St. Louis City

Kristoffer Velde scored two goals and provided one assist as the Portland Timbers defeated St. Louis City 3-2 on Wednesday night. The win keeps the Timbers in contention for the postseason, with their record now standing at 11 wins, 14 losses, and 7 draws.

The match remained scoreless until the 42nd minute. Velde broke the deadlock after receiving passes from Cole Bassett and Kamal Miller. Three minutes into halftime stoppage, Jimer Fory and Velde combined to set up David Da Costa, who put the Timbers up 2-0.

St. Louis City had entered the game with momentum, having just ended a single-season MLS record-tying 19-match unbeaten streak with three consecutive losses. Their defense held firm for the first half but gave way early in the second. Velde received a pass from Da Costa three minutes into the second half to score his ninth goal of the season. That goal also gave Velde his ninth assist, marking his first full season in the league.

St. Louis City responded in the 58th minute. Daniel Edelman scored his career-high fifth goal, assisted by first-year midfielder Carlo Holse and Jeong Sang-bin. Rafael Navarro added the final score in the first minute of stoppage time. His ninth goal of the season came with assists from Sang-bin and Chris Durkin.

Kamal Miller received his second yellow card five minutes after Navarro's goal, earning a red card. The Timbers midfielder will miss their next match. Goalkeeper James Pantemis made four saves for Portland, while Ben Lundt recorded three saves for St. Louis City in his fourth start this season.

The result moves Portland within two points of the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. The two teams had previously met in early September and played to a 2-2 draw in Portland. St. Louis City now sits with a 14-9-9 record, while Portland has won three of its 16 road games this season.

St. Louis City hosts San Diego FC on Saturday. Portland hosts the Houston Dynamo on Sunday.