After showing an offensive uptick on both sides of the World Cup break, St. Louis City SC will put their goal-scoring prowess on display again in a visit to the Los Angeles Galaxy on Wednesday in Carson, Calif.
Before the break, St. Louis City (5-6-4, 19 points) put together a 3-0 victory over Austin FC. They returned Thursday to deliver a 3-2 home victory over rival Sporting Kansas City.
Those were the second and third matches this season in which St. Louis City scored three or more goals.
Sang-bin Jeong and Marcel Hartel each scored early goals for St. Louis City against SKC, while Eduard Lowen converted from the penalty spot in the 85th minute to win it.
St. Louis continues to recover from a slow start with four wins and a tie in MLS play going back to May 9. And they are just one point behind the ninth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference, which is currently held by the Galaxy.
“We got the result, and it gives us a lot of confidence,” Lowen said. “Now we want to go for the next win and the next win. We’re already focused on LA, and we want to get as close as possible, as soon as possible, to the playoff spot and not be chasing that spot at the end of the season.”
The Galaxy (5-6-5, 20 points) had their own rivalry match while returning from the break on Friday but were crushed at home 3-0 by Los Angeles FC. It was a rare dud in a rivalry that has given MLS some memorable moments.
Los Angeles has less than a week to prepare for a team lurking in the standings.
“I feel like every game has to be like a playoff game at this point,” Galaxy defender Justin Haak said. “The teams are close around us.”
Galaxy head coach Greg Vanney lamented his team’s stagnant and predictable offense, with hopes that new addition Robert Taylor can be a difference-maker moving forward.
Taylor, a native of Finland, made his Galaxy debut in the second half last week after signing a free agent deal.
“He’s just not really fit yet. He hasn’t played a game in a while,” Vanney said. “… I feel like he gives us something a little bit different out there.”
Taylor had a goal and two assists in 1 1/2 years for Austin FC after scoring 18 goals with 18 assists in three-plus seasons across all competitions for Inter Miami.
–Field Level Media
