Marcel Hartel put on a masterclass at Dignity Health Sports Park on Thursday night, orchestrating all three St.Louis City goals in a 3-1 victory over LA Galaxy.
The midfielder found the net once and laid on two assists, capping a performance that saw him create four key passes from 67 touches. His match rating of 9.6 told the story: this was St.Louis's game because Hartel made it so.
Taking control
Galaxy had no answer for Hartel's movement between the lines. Every time St.Louis broke forward, the 28-year-old seemed to be pulling the strings, whether releasing runners in behind or arriving late into the box himself. His goal was the culmination of sustained pressure in the first half; his two assists came either side of the interval, each threaded through with the kind of precision that turns half-chances into certain finishes.
St.Louis have now won back-to-back on the road, a rare feat in MLS, and Hartel's form is a large part of why. Four key passes in a single match is elite output for a central midfielder, and the fact that half of them resulted in goals speaks to both his vision and his teammates' sharpness in the final third.
For Galaxy, the defeat extends a frustrating run at home. They managed just one reply and rarely threatened to claw their way back once Hartel had St.Louis two goals clear. On this evidence, stopping him will be the first item on every upcoming opponent's scouting report.