Marcel Hartel scored a brace on Saturday night and visiting St. Louis City kept Austin FC from clinching a Western Conference playoff spot with a 3-1 triumph.
It was the third straight road victory for St. Louis (8-18-7, 31 points), which was eliminated from the playoff picture on Sept. 27 with a 3-0 home defeat to LAFC. St. Louis looked more like a contender as it racked up a 22-14 advantage in shots and an 8-2 margin in shots on goal.
Hartel was St. Louis’ star, putting it ahead in the 28th minute with a right-footed laser from outside the penalty box that had a goal expectancy of 3 percent. But the well-struck shot sailed into the top right corner of the net.
Austin (12-12-8, 44 points) was able to equalize in the 36th minute through Oleksandr Svatok. A set piece saw Owen Wolff drill an in-swinging corner kick from left to right at the far post for Svatok, who elevated above a defender to head the ball past Roman Burki.
However, Hartel delivered the go-ahead tally in the 45th minute via Celio Pompeu’s good pass from the left side. Hartel circled back into the middle and toed his shot into the right corner past Brad Stuver.
St. Louis sealed the outcome in the third minute of stoppage time in the second half when Simon Becher took a beautiful pass from Alfredo Morales at the top of the box and flicked a shot over Stuver’s head into the right corner. Austin argued that Morales should have called for a handball but the referee said otherwise.
Austin FC are still in sixth in the West but have a pair of difficult matches to end the regular season. Austin hosts surging LAFC on Oct. 12 and has to travel to San Jose, which is fighting for a playoff spot, on Oct. 18.
Hartel and Joao Klauss drove play offensively for St. Louis, each taking five shots.
–Field Level Media
