St. Louis CITY SC extends MLS-record unbeaten run to 20 with 6-2 win over LA Galaxy

By Vancouver Television Sports Desk

St. Louis CITY SC continued its historic run of form on Sunday Night Soccer presented by Continental Tire, extending an unbeaten streak to 20 matches across all competitions with a 6-2 win over the LA Galaxy at Energizer Park. The result matched the MLS record for the longest unbeaten run across all competitions previously shared with the 2016 New York Red Bulls, according to the club’s league recap.

The night featured an early surge that quickly put the Galaxy on the back foot. Summer signing Carlo Holse scored a hat trick in the first 21 minutes, a performance described in the league account as the second-fastest hat trick from the start of a match in MLS history. Holse also became the fifth player in MLS history to record a hat trick inside 30 minutes, highlighting the speed and precision of CITY’s start to the match.

The record-setting atmosphere was reflected in CITY’s postgame themes, with head coach Yoann Damet emphasizing consistency and preparation. Damet said, “All the credit goes to the players, showing that level of consistency and the way they’ve worked, the way they’ve reflected on each game, and the way they showed up the next one. It’s been outstanding,” speaking after the match.

Rafael Navarro added his voice to the milestone discussion following the win, tying the unbeaten run to the club’s broader ambitions. Navarro, identified in the league account as having 2 goals and 2 assists in the victory, said, “For me, it's crazy. A 20-game unbeaten streak is just a crazy thought,” and added that the team is “fighting for special things… fighting for trophies,” before saying that “if we can keep going in this way, I think good things will happen.”

The hat trick was the first of Holse’s MLS career, and the league account noted that the moment carried additional personal significance because it happened in front of Holse’s family. In remarks included with the league report, Holse referenced his parents, wife, and two children being present, saying, “It’s amazing. I couldn’t have dreamed of anything better when I woke up today,” after describing the support he had at the stadium.

While Holse’s early goals drove the match, the league account also framed Navarro as a catalyst for CITY’s attack. It described Navarro’s Sunday performance as part of a larger impact, noting that the team’s offensive output elevates when he is involved. Navarro’s form for CITY was tied in the recap to the first six matches since his arrival, with the league account listing 7 goals and 3 assists in that span.

Navarro’s move to St. Louis CITY SC came through a cash-for-player trade with the Colorado Rapids, described in the recap as a club-record $12 million acquisition. The league account further reported that Navarro left the pitch in the 80th minute alongside Holse and received a standing ovation from the home crowd at Energizer Park.

From a season context standpoint, the league report places CITY’s current momentum into the playoff race picture. The recap states that the unbeaten run has CITY on 50 points, one point behind first-place Vancouver Whitecaps FC in the league standings at the time of publication.

For CITY, the significance of the weekend win goes beyond matching a long-standing benchmark. The league account explicitly ties the 20-game streak to MLS history, noting it now equals the 2016 Red Bulls mark for the longest unbeaten run across all competitions. The club’s unbeaten sequence includes matches played since a slower start to the season, with the recap stating that CITY recorded only one win in its first 10 games before the run took hold.

The league account also sets up immediate consequences for CITY’s record pursuit. St. Louis CITY SC will attempt to extend its unbeaten run against the Vancouver Whitecaps FC in a top-of-the-table Western Conference matchup on Wednesday at Energizer Park, with the game scheduled for 8:30 pm ET and broadcast on Apple TV.

In a matchup between two clubs positioned closely in the standings, CITY’s record chase collides with Vancouver’s position at the top. With St. Louis holding 50 points and Vancouver leading by one, the Wednesday meeting carries direct implications for the Western Conference race while also offering another chance for CITY to keep its all-competition unbeaten streak moving.

For fans at Energizer Park, the Sunday win provided both a defining performance and a clear storyline going forward: an MLS-matching 20-game unbeaten run, a first-career MLS hat trick for Carlo Holse in historic fashion, and a high-impact return from newcomer Rafael Navarro as CITY prepares to host Vancouver with the record still within reach.