Becher scores twice as St. Louis City SC closes out home season with 3-0 win over Houston
St. Louis City SC finished its home slate much the way it started, beating the Houston Dynamo at CityPark, to find a high note as the season nears the end. It's everything in between that was disappointing.
Simon Becher scored twice for City SC, once in each half, as City SC beat Houston 3-0 before its 17th sellout in as many home MLS games this season. Jake Nerwinski, possibly playing his final game at CityPark, scored two minutes into stoppage time and then was hugged by everyone on the team, including players who were on the bench. It was Nerwinski's fifth goal in eight MLS seasons and his first with City SC The win gives City SC wins in three of its past four games and in four of its past seven, but it all has come too late.
But the team continues to look to be in good shape the next time it plays at home, in late February or early March. Becher is the third City SC player in the team's past four games to have multiple goal contributions in a game. Against Sporting Kansas City, Cedric Teuchert had a goal and two assists and against San Jose Marcel Hartel had a goal and an assist.
The team got its first shutout since July 3 with Roman Burki making three clutch saves in the second half as Houston pressed for a goal. It was the sixth shutout of the season for Burki. City SC went a man up in the 79th minute when Houston's Franco Escobar got his second yellow card.
Teuchert assisted on Becher's first goal, giving him a run of having a part in six of City SC's seven goals, with three goals and three assists.
City SC will be off next weekend and then close the season the following Saturday at Minnesota United, which will be battling to avoid having to take part in league's 8 vs. 9 play-in game.
Becher got his third goal in MLS play in the 14th minute. Jannes Horn picked up a Houston pass to no one in particular, and quickly sent it upfield to Teuchert, standing to the right of the penalty area. He one-touched it to Becher in the box, who also one-touched it over charging goalkeeper Steve Clark.
The game marked Becher's return to the starting lineup after starting on the bench the past three games after Rasmus Alm returned to the lineup. It was the second time interim coach John Hackworth had started Becher and Klauss up top.
The game preceded to be swamped in a sea of fouls, with players going down left and right and each side accusing the other of flopping. When Houston's Escobar went down holding his leg in the 36th minute, Teuchert stood near the play, saying something to Houston players, and goalkeeper Roman Burki ran from his goal out to midfield to tell Teuchert to knock it off.
Becher got his second goal in the 47th minute when he got behind Houston's defense and ran onto a long ball by Hartel and came in alone on Clark, scoring with the outside of his right foot on the run.
Soccer reporter
