ST. LOUIS (AP) — Eduard Löwen scored on a late penalty kick to lift St. Louis City to a 3-2 victory over Sporting Kansas City on Thursday night as the MLS resumed play following a nearly eight-week break for the FIFA World Cup.
Löwen scored for the second time this season to put St. Louis City (5-6-4) on top for good in the 86th minute after the club saw a two-goal lead evaporate. The PK was awarded after a hand-ball foul on Sporting KC defender Ethan Bartlow, who subbed into the match in the 75th minute.
Jeong Sang-bin used a bicycle kick in the 28th minute to score his second goal in his ninth appearance of the season and give St. Louis City a 1-0 lead.
Marcel Hartel scored for the fourth time — with assists from Simon Becher and Löwen in the 36th minute — for a two-goal lead. Hartel has 16 goals in 56 career matches with the club. Becher has five assists this season after collecting three in his first 61 appearances. Löwen notched his second of the campaign.
Rookie Capita Capemba scored unassisted from long distance in the 42nd minute to help Sporting KC (3-10-2) cut it to 2-1 at halftime. It was the forward’s second goal in nine appearances.
Dejan Joveljić took a pass from Manu García in the 76th minute and scored to tie it 2-2. Joveljić has seven goals this season and five netters against St. Louis City in five career matchups. García has five assists after collecting nine as a rookie last season.
Six-foot-six backup goalkeeper Ben Lundt did not have a save in his first start of the season for St. Louis City, which is 4-0-1 in its last five matches.
Stefan Cleveland turned away three shots for Sporting KC in his fifth start in his first season with the club.
The all-time series is tied 4-4-3.
Up next
Sporting KC: Hosts Minnesota United on Wednesday.
St. Louis: At Los Angeles Galaxy on Wednesday.
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/soccer
The Associated Press
