9 Straight! Beecher Brace Powers St. Louis Past Earthquakes
St. Louis City Beats San Jose Earthquakes 3-1: A Simple Guide to the Match
What Happened in This Game?
Imagine two teams playing soccer (or football, as most of the world calls it). St. Louis City visited San Jose Earthquakes in California on Saturday night. St. Louis won 3-1, which means they scored three goals while San Jose only scored one.
Think of it like a video game: St. Louis got 3 points, San Jose got 1 point. Higher score wins!
This win was extra special for St. Louis because they haven’t lost a game in 9 matches in a row! That’s called an "unbeaten streak."
The Goals: Step by Step
Here’s how each goal happened, in order:
1⃣ Goal #1: Daniel Edelman (St. Louis) — 7th Minute
- Who: Daniel Edelman, a 23-year-old midfielder (a player who runs up and down the middle of the field)
- How: His teammate Conrad Wallem kicked the ball from the side of the field toward the goal. Edelman ran perfectly between two San Jose defenders and slid his foot to tap the ball in.
- Cool fact: This was Edelman’s 2nd goal this season — his personal best! He used to play for the New York Red Bulls.
2⃣ Goal #2: Simon Becher (St. Louis) — 27th Minute
- Who: Simon Becher, a tall forward (6 feet 1 inch!) whose job is to score goals
- How: Eduard Löwen took a corner kick (a kick from the corner of the field after the ball goes out). He curved the ball toward the goal. Becher jumped higher than everyone and headed the ball (hit it with his forehead) into the net from 5 yards out.
- Cool fact: Becher is having his best season ever with 4 goals so far!
3⃣ Goal #3: Beau Leroux (San Jose) — 47th Minute
- Who: Beau Leroux, playing for the home team
- How: He scored right after halftime to make it 2-1. San Jose fans got excited!
4⃣ Goal #4: Simon Becher (St. Louis) — 55th Minute
- Who: Simon Becher again! (His second goal of the night)
- How: Tomas Totland crossed the ball from the left side. It flew to the back post (far side of the goal). Becher was waiting there and tapped it in with his first touch — no need to stop the ball first!
- Cool fact: This was Becher’s 3rd career game with 2+ goals. He’s on fire!
Meet the Key Players
| Player | Team | Role | Why They Mattered |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simon Becher | St. Louis | Forward (scorer) | 2 goals — the hero of the night |
| Daniel Edelman | St. Louis | Midfielder (playmaker) | 1 goal — started the scoring early |
| Eduard Löwen | St. Louis | Midfielder | Assist on Becher’s first goal (corner kick) |
| Tomas Totland | St. Louis | Defender | Assist on Becher’s second goal (cross) |
| Conrad Wallem | St. Louis | Midfielder | Assist on Edelman’s goal |
| Beau Leroux | San Jose | Midfielder | Only goal for San Jose |
| Angus Gunn | San Jose | Goalkeeper | 4 saves — kept it from being worse |
What’s an "assist"? It’s when a player passes or crosses the ball to a teammate who then scores. Think of it as a "hockey assist" — the helper gets credit too!
What This Means for the Standings (The Leaderboard)
The Western Conference is like a mini-league for teams in the western U.S. Here’s where things stand:
| Rank | Team | Record (Wins-Losses-Draws) | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1⃣ | Houston | — | 34 |
| T-2⃣ | Vancouver | — | 34 |
| T-2⃣ | LAFC | — | 34 |
| 4⃣ | San Jose Earthquakes | 10-6-3 | 33 |
| 5⃣ | St. Louis City | 8-6-5 | 32 |
Important: San Jose is still ahead of St. Louis by 1 point, but St. Louis has games in hand (they’ve played fewer games), so they could catch up soon!
Interesting Numbers from the Game
- Possession: San Jose had the ball 55% of the time, St. Louis only 45%
- But St. Louis outshot them: 13 shots to 7 (and 7 on target vs. only 2 for San Jose)
- Translation: St. Louis didn’t need the ball as much — they were more dangerous when they had it!
- Previous meeting: San Jose beat St. Louis 3-2 on April 25. Revenge achieved!
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- St. Louis is on a roll: 9 games without a loss = serious momentum
- Simon Becher is breaking out: 4 goals this season = career high
- Daniel Edelman was a smart pickup: Acquired in January for "allocation money" (think: team budget cash), now scoring at a career-best rate
- Efficiency > Possession: You don’t need the ball all the time — you just need to score!
Quick Summary
St. Louis City went to San Jose and won 3-1. Simon Becher scored twice (header + tap-in), Daniel Edelman scored early, and San Jose only managed one reply. St. Louis has now gone 9 games unbeaten, while San Jose has lost 3 of 4 since the World Cup break. The playoff race in the West is super tight — just 2 points separate 1st from 5th!
FAQ: Your Questions Answered
What is MLS?
MLS stands for Major League Soccer — the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. Think of it like the NFL for football or the NBA for basketball, but for soccer!
What’s "allocation money"?
It’s special budget money teams can use to sign players or trade with other teams. It’s like Monopoly money that only works inside MLS. Teams get it for various reasons (selling players, hosting games, etc.).
What’s a "corner kick"?
When the ball goes out of bounds over the goal line (but not in the goal) and the defending team touched it last, the attacking team gets to kick it from the corner arc. It’s a great scoring chance!
What does "on target" mean?
A shot "on target" (or "on goal") means it would have gone in if the goalkeeper didn’t stop it. Shots that miss the goal entirely or hit the post/crossbar without going in are off target.
What’s a "draw" in soccer?
A draw = a tie. Both teams get 1 point in the standings. Wins = 3 points, Losses = 0 points. That’s why the records look like "8-6-5" (8 wins, 6 losses, 5 draws).