MLS debutants are supposed to struggle. Don’t tell red-hot St Louis City

The team have soared to the top of the Western Conference, scoring seemingly at will. Their success has been aided by a clear vision

No expansion team in Major League Soccer history has been where St Louis City are right now. Never before has a newbie to the league taken 18 points from their first eight fixtures. The sight of Bradley Carnell's team atop the Western Conference as MLS's top scorers - they average 2.5 goals a game - is unprecedented.

Nobody saw this coming. Most expected St Louis City, who were largely assembled in the space of just 12 months and have few recognisable names, to struggle. Instead, they are early-season frontrunners.