St. Louis City score three before half-time to beat Vancouver 3-1

St. Louis City defeated Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 at BC Place on Sunday, September 6, completing a decisive Major League Soccer Regular Season - 23 victory after leading by the same score at half-time.

St. Louis turn the match around

Vancouver made the faster start when Emmanuel Sabbi scored in the second minute, putting the hosts ahead before St. Louis had settled into the contest. The advantage did not last, however. Simon Becher equalised in the 23rd minute with assistance from Alexandru Măţan, and the visitors then took control of the scoring before the interval.

Tomas Totland put St. Louis ahead in the 41st minute, set up by Daniel Edelman. Totland then supplied the assist for Conrad Wallem's goal in the 45th minute, giving the visitors a 3-1 lead at half-time. The three-goal sequence over the final 22 minutes of the opening period was the decisive passage of the match.

Vancouver create chances but cannot recover

The second half produced no further goals, despite Vancouver finishing with the higher total shot count. The Whitecaps attempted 15 shots to St. Louis City's 11, including 10 from inside the box compared with seven for the visitors. Vancouver also won six corners to St. Louis City's two and had nine shots off target.

Those numbers did not translate into a comeback. St. Louis recorded six shots on goal to Vancouver's three, while also holding 54% possession and completing 421 accurate passes compared with Vancouver's 344. The visitors' greater efficiency in producing efforts on target helped them protect their two-goal advantage. Vancouver goalkeeper saves numbered three, while St. Louis City's goalkeeper made two.

Discipline and changes

The match finished with seven yellow cards and no red cards. Vancouver's Thomas Müller was booked in the 26th minute, followed by St. Louis's Conrad Wallem in the 36th. Mathías Laborda and Emmanuel Sabbi were cautioned shortly after the interval, with Ryan Gauld booked in the 71st minute. Christopher Durkin and Fallou Fall received St. Louis's final two cards in the 84th and 90th minutes.

Vancouver made three changes at half-time and later replaced Sabbi with Ryan Gauld in the 59th minute. St. Louis introduced Rafael Navarro Leal in the 61st minute and Sang-bin Jung for Becher in the 80th.

Table position and standout performer

The current standings list Vancouver first in the Western Conference with 43 points from 21 games, while St. Louis City are sixth with 34 points from 22 matches. The defeat interrupts Vancouver's run after entering the game with four consecutive wins in the supplied form sequence. St. Louis, whose latest listed result was a draw, add a win to a record that also includes nine victories, seven draws and six defeats.

Wallem was the standout performer by rating, receiving 7.8 after 90 minutes. His goal, one shot on target, key pass and tackle underlined his contribution to St. Louis City's successful first-half surge.