History. Made.
João Klauss handed St. Louis CITY SC their first-ever Major League Soccer victory in their first-ever match, sending the expansion club into dreamland Saturday night at Q2 Stadium.
The Brazilian striker’s 86th-minute outside-the-foot shot beat Austin FC goalkeeper Brad Stuver, sealing a 3-2 comeback victory over one of the Western Conference club’s strongest sides. The 25-year-old ran onto a fast break, then sliced past center back Kipp Keller before finding the far corner.
One of two Designated Players on CITY SC’s roster, Klauss signed last March on a transfer from German Bundesliga side TSG 1899 Hoffenheim – well before the MLS club’s inaugural season.
And with one shot, Klauss ensured St. Louis became the first expansion team to win their inaugural game since LAFC in 2018. Earlier, center back Tim Parker’s first-half header marked STL’s first-ever MLS goal, and Jared Stroud equalized in the 78th minute to further inspire the road result.
St. Louis, MLS’s 29th team, will play their home opener on March 4 (8:30 pm ET | MLS Season Pass) when welcoming Charlotte FC to CITYPARK, their state-of-the-art downtown stadium.
