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MLS West standings: St. Louis rides huge win into 2nd place

Dustin Judge
MLS West standings race: St. Louis City SC plays FC Cincinnati at its home stadium in St. Louis in 2023

St. Louis City SC jumped to second place in the MLS West standings Wednesday night with a 3-0 win over the New York Red Bulls at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, N.J., according to ESPN. The victory pushed the club’s unbeaten run in league play to 17 matches.

St. Louis improved to 13-6-8 with 47 points and now sits three points behind first-place Vancouver, according to beIN Sports.

How the MLS West standings shifted

St. Louis entered the night fifth in the West with 44 points from 26 matches, according to the FOX Sports MLS table. Vancouver led with 50 points, followed by FC Dallas (47), San Jose (45), Houston (44) and St. Louis (44).

Three points at Red Bull New York moved St. Louis level with Dallas’ pregame total and up to second, per ESPN. The top of the MLS West standings is now tightly packed, with Los Angeles FC next at 41 points entering Wednesday.

Who else is in the MLS West standings race

The teams around St. Louis arrived in different form. Vancouver has been inconsistent since the World Cup break, averaging 1.5 points per game, while Dallas had won four of its last five after a 1-0 win over LAFC, according to MLSsoccer.com’s power rankings.

San Jose had collected 10 points from its last four matches and was unbeaten in six, per MLSsoccer.com. Houston was heading the other way, with one win in its last seven.

A late show in New Jersey

Rafael Navarro gave St. Louis an early lead in the fifth minute, redirecting a Conrad Wallem header, ESPN reported. The visitors then pulled away late. Simon Becher pounced on a Red Bulls giveaway in the 87th minute, and Tomas Ostrak finished a rebound in stoppage time.

Roman Bürki made four saves for his third clean sheet of the season. The match had been pushed back from Saturday because of weather, according to beIN Sports.

New York (9-12-6) came in having allowed only two goals in its previous four games, with Ethan Horvath posting three shutouts in that span, but was missing young players Adri Mehmeti and Julian Hall, who were away with the U.S. national team, per ESPN. A preview of the matchup had framed it as a playoff-push showdown.

What the run means for St. Louis in the MLS West standings

The unbeaten stretch has carried St. Louis from the middle of the pack into the race for the top seed. The club has not lost in 19 matches across all competitions, according to its match report, and has scored three or more goals in eight of 14 matches since the World Cup break.

What’s next in the MLS West standings chase

St. Louis hosts the LA Galaxy on Sunday, Oct. 11, at 7 p.m. CT at Energizer Park. The Galaxy entered Wednesday eighth in the West with 36 points. The Red Bulls host San Diego FC on Oct. 10. Follow the race in our MLS coverage.

Reporting from ESPN, MLSsoccer.com, beIN Sports, FOX Sports and St. Louis City SC contributed to this story.

Dustin Judge is the Founder and CEO of Total Apex Media, bringing more than 20 years of writing and editorial experience to the company's growing network of digital publications. He specializes in sports, sports betting, fantasy sports, and digital publishing, with a focus on producing accurate, timely, and engaging content for readers. Dustin oversees editorial strategy, content development, and publishing operations across Total Apex Media while remaining actively involved in sports, betting, and fantasy sports coverage.