Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
Saturday March 4, 2023 St. Louis City SC's first home game vs Charlotte FC at CITYPARK downtown St. Louis João Klauss
CITY striker João Klauss looks to make a play as he dribbles unmarked through the middle of the field. On the day he arrived in town last summer, the Brazilian told CITY head coach Bradley Carnell that he was tired of bouncing across the globe, from one team to the next. In St. Louis, Klauss hoped to find a second home.
From the moment João Klauss took the field in St. Louis CITY SC’s inaugural game in March, one thing has been clear about the Brazilian striker: He loves scoring goals. Early in the season, before he suffered the quad injury that sidelined him for 15 games, Klauss proved to be up for the task. His run of five goals in CITY’s first five games made him an instant fan favorite in St. Louis. In short order, Klauss was on track to become Major League Soccer’s next star.
But the injury he suffered on April 23 at Colorado sent Klauss’ season sideways. The lengthy, start-and-stop rehab process also took a toll on the 26-year-old as he worked his way back into CITY head coach Bradley Carnell’s lineup. His self-belief seemed sapped. That’s why Sunday’s performance in Los Angeles was so important for the St. Louis goal scorer.
In CITY’s 2-2 draw against the Galaxy, Klauss scored for the first time since his two-goal effort on March 26. It’s been a challenging few months for Klauss, but his display over the weekend illustrated that he’s gradually returning to form, and—perhaps most importantly—he’s feeling like the player he was months ago.
“For a striker, after these four months out, it was really important for my confidence,” Klauss says. “Coming back from my injury, my confidence was not the best.”
That’s understandable. Four months is a long, lonely time to be sidelined. But in his return to the starting lineup on Sunday, Klauss showed that he was eager to make up for the time he lost. He started next to the surging Sam Adeniran, forcing the Galaxy’s defense to pick their poison. While Adeniran played Klauss’ typical No. 9 role, the Brazilian drifted out wide and, at times, even dropped back deep into the midfield to retrieve the ball. Although it was a different role for Klauss, he was happy to accommodate Adeniran and do whatever was needed to help CITY succeed.
“Coaches asked me to come a little bit forward, to find the game, and let Sam run in behind,” Klauss says. “And I think Sam is really strong on that. So I feel fine to come and participate more in the creation of the game and let Sam run in behind. I think we're working really well.”
As Klauss danced around Adeniran, it was only a matter of time before he finally broke through the Galaxy backline. In the 28th minute, a marauding run from AZ Jackson helped Klauss find his long-awaited sixth goal by beating Los Angeles keeper Jonathan Bond through the five hole and doubling CITY’s lead.
For a player eager to regain his poise, Klauss’ strike oozed confidence.
“It was great to see Klauss back,” Carnell says.
Klauss has been candid about how he struggled to come to terms with his injury, the first major health issue of his career. Months of setbacks only added to his frustration. All that any striker wants is to play games and score goals, and being unable to find the back of the net during his first three appearances since his return weighed on Klauss’ mind.
But Klauss demonstrated Sunday that he’s close to being the player CITY fans remember. He may already be there.
“I really enjoyed what I saw,” Carnell says. “It's not just his on-the-ball play, but I think it's also his against-the-ball work. He forces numerous turnovers. He knows where to jump; he knows when to come back in the game. He knows when to organize the front group; when they should press and when they should not. I thought he played with a very mature head on his shoulders and we're glad to have him back.”
