The Columbus Crew were on the road Saturday to face St. Louis City SC. It was the first trip to the “River City” for the Black & Gold. St. Louis City joined Major League Soccer in 2023. The Crew rallied for a 2-1 win and remained undefeated in MLS play.

St. Louis City got on the board first when forward Joao Klauss headed the ball past Crew goalkeeper Patrick Schulte after his initial shot from close range hit off the crossbar, then Schulte.

The Crew responded in first half stoppage time. Defender Steven Moreira picked a looping pass from Max Arfsten out of the air with his right foot and sent it across the front of the net to beat St. Louis goaltender Ben Lundt. Moreira was the MLS’s top defender last season.

The Black & Gold took the lead when Diego Rossi drilled a shot from just outside the top of the penalty box in the 55th minute. The newest member of the Crew, Dániel Gazdag, was on the trip after being traded from the Philadelphia Union Friday. He entered the match at the beginning of the second half.

The victory allowed the Crew to remain undefeated at 5-0-3 and move into the top spot in the MLS’s Eastern Conference, two points ahead of Charlotte and Cincinnati. Inter Miami, which has a match in hand, is three points behind. The Crew host the Herons at Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland next Saturday at 4:30 p.m.