Marcel Hartel scored a brace Saturday night and visiting St. Louis City kept Austin FC from clinching a West playoff spot with a 3-1 triumph.

It was the third straight road victory for St. Louis (8-18-7, 31 points), which was eliminated from the playoff picture on Sept. 27 with a 3-0 home defeat to LAFC. St. Louis looked more like a contender as it racked up a 22-14 advantage in shots and an 8-2 margin in shots on goal.

Hartel was St. Louis' star, putting it ahead in the 28th minute with a right-footed laser from outside the penalty box that had a goal expectancy of 3 percent. But the well-struck shot sailed into the top right corner of the net.

Austin (12-12-8, 44 points) was able to equalize in the 36th minute through Oleksandr Svatok. A set piece saw Owen Wolff drill an in-swinging c

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