St. Louis CITY SC needed a response after falling behind inside five minutes Saturday night at Energizer Park. The club delivered one, scoring three times before halftime and holding off Minnesota United FC for a 4-2 victory that stretched its unbeaten run to 16 matches across all competitions and 15 in MLS regular-season play.
Tomás Chancalay put the Loons in front in the fifth minute, finishing a right-footed shot from the right side of the box after a combination involving Joaquín Pereyra and Wil Trapp. CITY SC did not linger in the deficit. Daniel Edelman equalized in the 19th minute with a right-footed strike from the center of the area for his fourth goal of the season. Three minutes later, Carlo Holse put St. Louis ahead, converting a left-footed finish from the right side of the box after Conrad Wallem laid the ball off. Rafael Navarro then made it 3-1 in the 38th minute, scoring his first goal at Energizer Park with a right-footed shot from the middle of the box after Holse and Jaziel Orozco combined.
Navarro struck again from the penalty spot in the 57th minute, sending a right-footed kick into the upper left of the net. The Brazilian now has braces in back-to-back matches since joining CITY SC and four goals in his first three appearances with the club. The second goal also marked the first time a CITY SC player recorded a brace in his home debut. Navarro’s night included his first assist for the club and his 100th career MLS appearance. His season total sits at 14 goals.
Kelvin Yeboah pulled Minnesota back within two from the spot in the 61st minute. Kyle Duncan later received a second yellow card and was sent off in the 80th minute, leaving the visitors a man down for the closing stretch.
Head coach Yoann Damet praised the first-half response after the early concession but was less satisfied with the second half. “Putting in the fourth [goal] should then give us the opportunity to breathe and to manage,” Damet said. “We finished the game up a man, as well, and I got the feeling until the end it was a little bit sloppy at times.” Holse described it as “two different games,” while Wallem said the group needed better control after going 4-1 up.
Holse finished with a goal and an assist and now has four goal contributions in his last four matches. Wallem recorded his sixth assist of the season — an MLS career high — and has four assists in four consecutive games. Orozco collected his first career MLS assist.
CITY SC outshot Minnesota 13-9 and put eight shots on target to the Loons’ three. Roman Bürki made one save. The result was St. Louis’ first four-goal home performance in regular-season play since 2023. The club is tied for the longest unbeaten streak in MLS over the last decade.
CITY SC next travels to face the Colorado Rapids in the U.S. Open Cup semifinal on Wednesday at DICK’s Sporting Goods Park. Kickoff is 8:30 p.m. CT.
