Inside St. Louis CITY SC’s record-setting, attention-grabbing start, a potent partnership is forming.
For CITY, João Klauss plus Niko Gioacchini equals victory.
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The club’s 5-0 run to begin the season has been buoyed by a Major League Soccer-leading offensive output from strikers Klauss and Gioacchini, a dynamic duo that has rocketed St. Louis into the top spot in the league. While so many others, particularly midfielder Edu Löwen, have played their roles well, Klauss and Gioacchini have served as the driving forces behind St. Louis’ unblemished start. Their production was on full display during this past weekend’s 4-0 victory over Real Salt Lake, when both players scored in the same match for the second consecutive week.
“Chemistry is built with time,” Gioacchini says. “You naturally understand certain players, and I think we naturally understand each other. It’s not like we’ve been together for two years. We talk to each other on the field, we know how we move, we know what our movements are when we call for the ball, when we move for the ball, when we make runs—we understand each other, and that is something that is showing in the games.”
That understanding has driven the CITY attack so far this season. Klauss ranks second in MLS with five goals in five games. Gioacchini, who is hoping to work his way back into the picture with the United States Men’s National Team, has forced his way into the starting 11 while complementing Klauss with two goals and one assist.
From Gioacchini’s view, St. Louis head coach Bradley Carnell deserves credit for being willing to deploy a double-striker lineup. Gioacchini also appreciates the belief Carnell has shown in him. Recent seasons haven’t been easy for Gioacchini, who’s struggled to find his rhythm between time with clubs in France and during a forgettable 2022 stint with Orlando City. Just as Klauss says he has found a home in St. Louis, Gioacchini says he’s getting more comfortable by the day.
“The coach is a big part of a player’s confidence,” Gioacchini says. “He’s the one who allows him to show himself, and Bradley is giving me that confidence. I feel it every day in training. I feel it in games. He allows me to do what I do best, and it is something that I really do appreciate.
“Second, the team around me. When the team around me gives me that confidence, as well, telling me, ‘Do what you do, don’t hesitate, dribble, keep moving, score goals,’ it’s something that a lot of players appreciate when they get that experience. I’ve had a couple of rough years—the last two years have been quite rough because I’ve felt like I haven’t had any confidence in myself, and the coaches haven’t given it to me. I’m slowly finding my groove again and hopefully it’s showing.”
“He’s another guy that’s fully committed,” Carnell says. “You can see he’s getting stronger, he’s getting healthier, he’s getting fitter, and he’s becoming a real menace.”
The club has seemingly bought into the flexibility that Carnell demands from his team. Regardless of whether CITY goes with a 4-4-2 lineup, or a 4-2-3-1—or even a 4-4-1-1— these players have committed to doing whatever it takes to lift each other up. So far, that work has yielded 15 points in five matches. The club is now just two wins shy of tying Sporting Kansas City’s 11-year-old MLS record for most wins to start a season. St. Louis is also on pace to outscore the 2019 LAFC squad, which set the league record with 85 goals that season.
CITY’s starting 11 may not have spent years together, but these players seem drawn to each other. The relationships they’ve built seem magnetic.
Especially between goal scorers Klauss and Gioacchini.
“I enjoy playing with him,” Gioacchini says. “It’s a real pleasure.”
