NEW YORK (Monday, October 2, 2023) – St. Louis CITY SC forward João Klauss was voted the Major League Soccer Player of the Matchday presented by Continental Tire for Matchday 35 of the 2023 MLS season.
Klauss scored two goals in St. Louis CITY SC’s 4-1 rivalry victory over Sporting Kansas City at CITYPARK on Saturday, September 30. The Brazilian forward produced the second brace of his MLS career, and he became the second player in St. Louis history to reach 10 goals in a season. Klauss has scored 10 times in only 1,200 minutes this season, with his 0.75 goals per 90 minutes ranking as the second-best mark in MLS behind Atlanta’s Giorgos Giakoumakis at 0.87 (minimum nine goals). With the victory, St. Louis became the first expansion club to record 17 wins in their inaugural season (excluding the shootout era). After the results on Matchday 35, the club has clinched the top seed in the Western Conference and a spot in the 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup.
After St. Louis scored two second-half goals in quick succession, Klauss made it 3-0 in the 79th minute when Eduard Löwen played a lofted pass to the back post for the Brazilian forward to volley home from close range (Watch Here). The home side added their fourth goal in the 85th minute as the ball came to Klauss, whose first touch allowed him to strike a sensational right-footed volley into the upper corner of the net for his second goal of the match (Watch Here).
Klauss becomes the first player in St. Louis CITY SC history to be named MLS Player of the Matchday presented by Continental Tire. St. Louis is now the 32nd different club in MLS history to have a player earn MLS Player of the Matchday honors.
St. Louis will look to continue their record-setting inaugural season when they travel to face Vancouver Whitecaps FC at BC Place on Matchday 36 on Wednesday, October 4 (10:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass).
The MLS Player of the Matchday presented by Continental Tire is selected each matchday of the regular season through both media and fan voting in a process conducted by MLS Communications. A panel of journalists from the North American Soccer Reporters (NASR) comprises 75 percent of the vote, while a Twitter fan vote represents the remaining 25 percent of voting. NASR consists of members of print, television, radio, and online media.
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