Eduard Lowen scored the second St. Louis City SC goal in a span of about four minutes late in the first half as the first-year team defeated Charlotte FC — last season’s first-year team — in the first home game in franchise history Saturday night.
The first goal for the hosts came on an own goal. Klauss, a Brazilian, also scored for St. Louis City (2-0-0), which opened its season a week earlier by winning at Austin FC.
Roman Burki made two saves for the shutout at the new downtown stadium.
Enzo Copetti scored in the first half for Charlotte FC (0-2-0). Pablo Sisniega made three saves.
The first two St. Louis City goals came in the final four minutes of the first half.
Bill Tuiloma had the misfortune of knocking in the own goal. A ball was sent into the box, and his header resulted in St. Louis City tying the game at 1-1 in the 41st minute. Lowen’s penalty kick came in extra time.
The penalty kick came about because of a hand ball in the penalty area on Charlotte FC’s Karol Swiderski. Lowen drilled the penalty kick in the upper-left corner of the net, with Sisniega guessing wrong and going in the other direction.
Klauss converted in the 71st minute to help seal the outcome. He chipped the ball over Sisniega, who was far out of the net.
From the Charlotte FC perspective, it was significant breakdowns or mistakes that led to each of the St. Louis City goals.
Copetti opened the scoring in the 25th minute for Charlotte FC’s first goal of the season. Copetti knocked the ball in with a header off a pass from Swiderski on the right side.
Copetti left later in the first half with an injury.
–Field Level Media
