Klauss helps St. Louis City take down Austin FC, 1-0

Joao Klauss demonstrated his prowess on the field by securing his second goal of the season early in the second half, propelling St. Louis City to a resounding 1-0 victory over visiting Austin FC on a bright Sunday afternoon.

This triumph proved to be a pivotal moment for St. Louis (2-1-5, 11 points) as it put an end to their five-match winless streak. Surprisingly, the match unfolded as a tense and closely contested affair, deviating from the goal-laden encounters these teams have shared in the past.

St. Louis City and Austin (2-3-3, nine points) had previously amassed an impressive tally of 18 goals in their first three league matches following St. Louis City’s induction into MLS at the onset of the 2023 season.

However, Austin’s hopes were dashed on Sunday as they failed to register a single shot on target, consequently halting their two-match winning streak. The visitors’ goalkeeper, Brad Stuver, made three crucial saves but was unable to prevent his team from being held scoreless for the third time this season. It is worth noting that Austin FC has recorded multiple goals in four out of their other five matches.

Notably, St. Louis striker Samuel Adeniran was left out of the matchday squad. Consequently, the responsibility of finding the back of the net largely fell upon the shoulders of the out-of-form Klauss.

Furthermore, attacking midfielder Eduard Lowen was unable to make an appearance due to a hamstring injury, despite St. Louis City manager Bradley Carnell’s earlier statement suggesting his return to full training during the week.

Klauss had endured a sluggish start to the season, with his only previous goal coming from the penalty spot. This was a stark contrast to his exceptional performance in 2023, where he netted an impressive five goals during St. Louis City’s inaugural season, which saw them embark on a five-match winning streak.

However, Klauss managed to break free from his rut in the 57th minute, capitalizing on an excellent St. Louis attack. The sequence began with Tomas Totland latching onto a superb diagonal ball near the center circle. Totland then spotted Rasmus Alm making a run down the right flank, who subsequently delivered a low cross towards the penalty spot. Klauss intelligently adjusted his run, allowing him to redirect the service into the bottom left corner of the net with finesse.

Although Aziel Jackson believed he had secured an insurance goal in the seventh minute of second-half stoppage time, his effort was disallowed due to an offside ruling. Ultimately, this proved inconsequential, as Austin FC failed to pose a threat to St. Louis City for the remainder of the match.