D.C. United forward Dane Kelly’s journey to his Major League Soccer debut took him from Jamaica to Nevada and everywhere in between before being summoned off the bench by United head coach Ben Olsen against Sporting Kansas City on March 31.
Kelly came on as an 87th-minute substitute as the Black-and-Red sought a late equalizer on the road. It was a long-awaited debut for the 27-year-old after navigating through the United Soccer League (USL) at the start of his professional career.
In his first game on an MLS bench, Kelly admitted to feeling nerves in the moment, but when his name was called, the nerves subsided as he focused on the task at hand.
“I knew the team were down 1-0, so I told myself, ‘I’m going to go out there, work hard and try to help the team get a goal.’ That was the focus at the time,” Kelly said. “But it was definitely a great moment for me and one of the best in my career.”
Kelly’s professional journey began with Tivoli Gardens FC in Jamaica before moving to the USL’s Charleston Battery, where he played from 2011 to 2015. The next stop in his USL career came for Sporting Kansas City’s USL affiliate Swope Park Rangers, where he played the 2016 campaign. After a frustrating season in Kansas City, Kelly set his sights on making 2017 a defining season in his career.
“During the offseason after 2016, I told myself, ‘whichever team I go to, I’m going to make a statement this year,'" Kelly said. “ 2017 was the year I had to do what I had to do to try to reach a higher level.”
In 2017, Kelly joined Reno 1868 FC, a new USL expansion team, and his career took off when he scored 18 goals in 28 appearances en route to the league’s Golden Boot and Most Valuable Player award.
“The coach had a lot of confidence in me and I was with good teammates that played hard, worked hard, and had confidence in each other, and they provided me with a lot of balls so I could score goals,” Kelly said.
The forward currently ranks as the all-time leading scorer in USL history with 56 goals and 14 assists in 138 appearances that spanned from 2011 to 2017. His form and eye for goal in the USL led to his acquisition by the Black-and-Red on March 9 via Major League Soccer’s Discovery Process.
His USL dominance in 2017 yielded more than just league accolades as Kelly earned a call-up to the Jamaican National Team for a friendly against Canada on Sept. 3, 2017, when he made his debut on the international soccer stage.
“I always told myself I wanted to play for my national team. I didn’t think it would take me that long,” he said. “Words can’t explain how I felt when I got the call that I was going to play against Canada. It was a tremendous feeling and I’m very proud to represent my country.”
Kelly’s first goal and assist in international play came in a friendly against South Korea on Jan. 30, 2018. In his most recent appearance for the Reggae Boyz, Kelly logged 87 minutes in a friendly against Antigua and Barbuda on March 26.
With his MLS debut in the books, Kelly is now focused on earning consistent minutes with United. And as he picks up more playing time, fans can expect to see a team-oriented player with a hunger to make a difference on the field and win games for the Black-and-Red.
“I’m here to work hard, hopefully score a few goals and help the team make the playoffs.”
