CARSON, Calif. — St. Louis City made a dominant mark in the MLS as Roman Bürki delivered an impressive performance with eight saves to secure a third straight shutout, leading to a 3-0 triumph over the struggling LA Galaxy on Sunday. This victory comes as the first sign of offensive life for St. Louis, having opened their season with two goalless draws.
Goals were netted by Cedric Teuchert, Marcel Hartel, and Simon Becher, initiating their team’s scoring spree for the season. Despite the scoreline, the match wasn’t entirely one-sided, but St. Louis City capitalized on critical moments against the defending MLS Cup champions, who remain winless this season.
Bürki, the Swiss goalkeeper, showcased his prowess with his 18th career shutout for St. Louis, fending off every scoring attempt from a Galaxy team significantly hindered by injuries. This was in stark contrast to his workload in the first two matches of the season, which required only one save in total.
The Galaxy, missing star playmaker Riqui Puig and forward Joseph Paintsil due to injuries, have struggled to find the net this season, managing just a solitary goal across three defeats. Despite efforts from healthy players like Gabriel Pec and Marco Reus, who created several opportunities, they could not breach St. Louis’ defense.
In the first half, Christian Ramírez presented LA’s most promising shot, but Bürki’s quick reflexes denied the opportunity with a swift save in the box. St. Louis took the lead in the 44th minute when Teuchert capitalized on a chaotic scramble in the Galaxy’s penalty area to score.
Hartel doubled St. Louis’ lead shortly after the break, receiving a pass from Teuchert and finishing expertly into the top left corner beyond Galaxy goalkeeper Novak Micovic. Despite efforts from the Galaxy to hit back, including a squandered chance by Pec in the 64th minute and a thwarted free kick from Reus, Bürki was unyielding.
Becher sealed the victory in the 84th minute, rounding off a commanding performance by the visitors, leaving the Galaxy searching for answers in their pursuit of a comeback this season.
