Pre-match Preview: The chase for 15

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (KMOV) - St. Louis CITY SC is the first expansion team in league history to win its first four MLS matches. Now, they head back on the road to Utah, looking to become just the third MLS team to collect 15 points in its first five matches of the season.

CITY SC has performed far above what is typically expected of MLS expansion franchises. Goal after goal, record after record, this club is one of the hottest in the league. They are currently in a very committed relationship with their first place standing in the Western Conference. The first four have resulted in 12 points on 11 goals. Next up, the eighth place Real Salt Lake.

“We have to still be diligent enough to do our homework in terms of post games,” Coach Bradley Carnell said after training Thursday. “And while it’s been pretty rosy from the results standpoint, we still know we have things to fix.”

Real Salt Lake has a history of defeating those new to the league, taking the victory in nine of its 14 home matches against expansion teams. The club is on a cold streak, however, suffering back-to-back losses after a 2-1 win over Vancouver to start the year. Most would favor CITY SC in this match-up. And who could blame them? St. Louis is tied for most goals in the league with 11. That’s eight more than their upcoming opponent. João Klauss and Eduard Löwen are both closing in on leading the league in goals and assists, while Roman Burki is holding down a save percentage of 60 percent.

The match kicks off at 8:30 p.m. at America First Field. For more information on St. Louis CITY SC, check out our guide to the 2023 season.

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