We continue to focus on the backline for LAFC in our 2025 player postmortem series, this time taking a look at a player that might be more for the future than right now. Defender Kenny Nielsen is a player that only appeared in a few matches for the senior side of LAFC this season, with most of his time spent in MLS Next Pro with LAFC 2, but in that time he flashed the skills and defensive prowess needed to become a solid force at the back in MLS. Let’s take a look at how the 23-year-old defender performed this past season.
Kenny Nielsen makes his first-team debut 💪 pic.twitter.com/f2L1SCFxwq
— LAFC (@LAFC) July 26, 2025
Nielsen is another one of those players that has come up the ranks within LAFC. Drafted back in 2023 with the 57th pick, the defender out of Georgetown has spent a majority of his young career with the LAFC 2 squad at the lower levels as he continues his development. This season, he got the chance to make his first-team debut and make a few appearances on the main roster for LAFC. He made his first-team debut in late July, when he got the nod to start for LAFC, logging a full 90 in that appearance. While the team lost, he put in an excellent shift that opened up some eyes of fans who had been following him since he was drafted. He followed up that appearance with two more starts for LAFC in the Leagues Cup just a couple weeks later, going the full 90 in one start, and playing 63 minutes in the other start. He wrapped up his first-team foray with a very brief appearance as a substitute, logging several minutes at the end of a September match as the team prepared for the postseason.
Ryan Hollingshead & Kenny Nielsen on tonight’s match⤵️ pic.twitter.com/Rx2rA6BoRV
— LAFC (@LAFC) July 26, 2025
In his Leagues Cup stint he made 78 successful passes (87% success rate), had just two tackles but won 10 duels (72% win rate), won five aerial duels (66% win rate), blocked four shots, had two interceptions and even earned a yellow card. During MLS play he had 123 touches with 103 successful passes (94% success rate), won five duels and five aerial duels, made seven recoveries, and had two interceptions. Considering he played just over 90 total minutes of MLS action, that’s not a bad showing at all.
Most of his time this season was spent with LAFC 2 in MLS Next Pro where he logged 1,130 minutes, starting 13 of his 14 appearances, even tallying an assist while there. He had 793 successful passes (90% success rate), 1,095 touches, 52 accurate long balls, created six chances, had 16 touches in the opposition’s box and only got dispossessed twice. He made 17 tackles, won 55 duels (54% win rate), 29 aerial duel wins (52% win rate), made 14 interceptions, had eight blocked shots, made 44 recoveries and only got dribbled past on four occasions.
During the offseason the club announced they had exercised their option on Nielsen, keeping him in Los Angeles for another season as they have options through 2027. While Nielsen is still a bit of ways from being a finished product, he definitely has been developing nicely and this past season showed just how far he has come in such a short time. At just 23-years-old it wouldn’t be surprising to see him get even more play time this coming season, as he most certainly has the potential to not just become a solid rotational player, but someone that, sooner rather than later, could find himself breaking into the starting XI.
Thoughts on the season Kenny Neilsen had? Leave a comment below!