Nicholas Gioacchini scored his team-leading ninth and 10th goals of the season, Samuel Adeniran also scored a brace in the second half, and St. Louis City romped to a 6-3 win over visiting Austin FC on Sunday night to extend its lead atop the Western Conference.
Tim Parker opened the scoring, and Tomas Ostrak added a second-half goal for St. Louis (14-8-2, 44 points), which will lead its closest opponent by no fewer than five points in the West standings depending on other results later Sunday.
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The expansion club also set a club record for most goals scored in a match, while Austin (9-10-5, 32 points) also allowed its most goals in a match in its three-year MLS history.
Eduard Lowen assisted on three goals as the hosts won their third straight at home in league play and sixth in their last eight (6-1-1) overall.
Austin’s Sebastian Driussi scored his team-leading seventh goal of the season, and Will Bruin and Emiliano Rigoni also scored goals that at the time closed Austin’s deficit to 4-3.
But the Verde made the hole too deep for themselves in their eighth away match conceding multiple goals, and the seventh of those that ended in defeat.
Parker opened the scoring in the 22nd minute on the first of Lowen’s goal-creating passes, a long, diagonal free kick from the left flank.
Parker still had a lot to do, meeting the service with a perfect run and sending a powerful header across his body from about 12 yards into the top right corner.
Lowen’s second assist came with an excellent ball over the top from his own half into the run of Gioacchini in first-half stoppage time.
With only one defender pressuring him, Gioacchini collected himself as he got close to goal, cut to his right, and then hammered a low finish off the inside of the far right post and over the line.
Gioacchini’s second came five minutes after the break, setting off a wild seven-goal second half.
—Field Level Media
