Tomas Totland and Rafael Santos each scored a goal as St. Louis City secured a 2-1 victory over visiting Los Angeles FC on Wednesday.
St. Louis City (3-6-3, 12 points) won a second match in a row following a five-match winless run, and they defeated LAFC for the first time ever in the eighth meeting (1-5-2).
Los Angeles (6-4-3, 21 points) got a goal from David Martinez but dropped its third straight match across all competitions. LAFC are 0-2-1 in their past three MLS outings.
St. Louis got off to a dream start in the fourth minute through a well-worked team goal. Marcel Hartel’s first touch found the feet of an on-rushing Eduard Lowen along the right side. Lowen’s cross inside the box passed several LAFC defenders to reach Totland, who finished at the near post past goalkeeper Hugo Lloris to put St. Louis ahead 1-0. It was Totland’s first goal of the season.
St. Louis doubled its lead in the 64th minute. After Hartel found Sergio Cordova surging down the right flank, Cordova crossed the ball into the box. It sailed over the head of St. Louis’ Simon Becher, deflected off LAFC’s Ryan Raposo, and landed at the feet of Santos, who powered it past a helpless Lloris for his first of the season.
LAFC found a lifeline in the 73rd minute through Martinez, who caught Roman Burki off his line and chipped it over the head of the St. Louis goalkeeper into an open net to cut it to 2-1.
Los Angeles nearly pulled level in the 81st minute, but Burki made a tremendous save when Aaron Long deflected Martinez’s long-range effort toward the goal.
That proved to be LAFC’s best chance at an equalizer.
St. Louis was forced into a substitution in the 10th minute as Jaziel Orozco exited due to an apparent lower leg injury.
–Field Level Media
