An Unstoppable Onslaught: St. Louis CITY SC Take Their 5th Win Against Real Salt Lake in Record Setting Streak
This team is currently making history. St. Louis CITY SC was the first team in MLS history to win their first four games of the season – and they just won their fifth.
The game between Real Salt Lake and St. Louis CITY SC was intense from the start. Both teams fired shots at each other.
St. Louis was putting up more shots at first, but Salt Lake shot back with many goal attempts. By half, neither team had scored. But St. Louis was ready to kick things up.
Nicholas Gioacchini #11 of St. Louis City SC and Brayan Vera #4 of Real Salt Lake class for the ball while suspended in the air. (Photo by Chris Garder/Getty Images)
Just a minute after half, Salt Lake hit the ball out of bounds. St. Louis had the opportunity for a pass play for the goal.
The pressure by the net was high. As the ball went into play, Nicholas Gioacchini, CITY SC’s center-forward, was perfectly positioned right outside the goal area for the pass. He made contact - successfully scoring the first point of the match at 46:25.
On a separate game on Saturday, Jordan Morris #13 of the Seattle Sounders scores a goal past John Pulskamp #1 of Sporting Kansas City. (Photo by Kyle Rivas/Getty Images)
Mid field play was ramped up. It seemed like neither team could get to each other’s net successfully, until St. Louis made an excellently lobbed pass from midfield.
The ball was deflected by Salt Lake, but other center-forward João Klauss was ready. From within the penalty arc, he kicks the ball with significant speed into the right side of the net. At 60:25, St. Louis has scored their second point of the night – 2-0.
Joao Klauss #9 shoots his first goal of the night against the Real Salt Lake goalie. (Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images)
Klauss was not slowing down after this point. More back-and-forth play occurred for a few minutes, but Klauss’s thirst for a goal was high.
Salt Lake was passing to each other on their half of the field. But they failed to see Klauss lurking amongst them. The ball was passed right to Klauss, where he took the ball and ran with it.
Outrunning three players, Klauss entered the penalty area where he wound up for a shot. It zoomed passed the goalie, into the net at 65:44. 3-0.
Klauss #9 and a teammate Eduard Löwen celebrate their team’s goal. (Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images)
Pressure still high between the teams, but St. Louis keeps driving at the net. A shot is attempted, barely being blocked by goalie Zac MacMath’s right hand above his head.
As they continue to barrage Salt Lake in this half, Eduard Löwen, midfielder, is surrounded by five opponents.
He successfully maneuvers the ball out of the crowd to Rasmus Alm, right winger, where immediately sends the ball past MacMath into the net at 75:19.
Face down is Zac MacMath #18 of the Real Salt Lake, where he is reacting with agony to the fourth goal scored against his team. (Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images)
Now at 4-0, the two teams clash it out, but victory was inevitable for St. Louis in their record-setting win streak. Although, that is not their only impressive feat this season.
They are also became the third team in MLS to earn 15 points from their first five matches of a season, joining LA Galaxy in 1996 and Sporting Kansas City in 2012. Plus, St. Louis has an unprecedented 11+ goal difference.
These record-breaking numbers are impressive, and the team is playing like their lives depend on it. Their next game is a home game this Saturday, hosting the Minnesota United FC. Will they continue to set the bar higher, or will they take the loss: only time will tell.