St. Louis City SC stretched their unbeaten run in all competitions to a record-equalling 20 games as they thrashed the LA Galaxy 6-2.

Carlo Holse starred with a hat-trick inside 21 minutes at Energizer Park, where the hosts led 5-1 by half-time.

Holse got the ball rolling in the second minute, sliding in to turn home from Rafael Navarro's tee-up.

He doubled up five minutes later, lashing a left-footed drive beyond JT Marcinkowski.

Holse capped off his hat-trick in sublime fashion, taking in a long ball on his chest before tucking a finish in at the right-hand post.

Robert Taylor's stunner dragged the Galaxy back into it, but Navarro's penalty restored St. Louis' three-goal cushion.

Lukas MacNaughton's brilliant header put the hosts four to the good before the interval, and Navarro's fine, low strike made it 6-1 shortly after the restart.

Joao Klauss grabbed another consolation for the Galaxy, as St. Louis surged to 50 points, just one behind the Western Conference-leading Vancouver Whitecaps.

Hose and Navarro star as St. Louis close in on history

Holse's hat-trick was the second-fastest in MLS history from the start of a game.

He also became the fifth player in the competition to net a hat-trick inside the opening 30 minutes of a match.

Navarro continued his flying start to life at St. Louis. He is now on 17 goals this season, with seven of those coming for his new team, and 10 for the Colorado Rapids.

It was St. Louis' brutally clinical first-half display that saw them race clear. They have scored 29 first-half goals in 28 MLS games this term. Only Inter Miami (33) and the Whitecaps (33) have netted more times in the opening period.

St. Louis are unbeaten since May in all competitions, with this run matching the record for an MLS team, previously set by the New York Red Bulls in 2016.

They are unbeaten in 18 straight MLS matches, which means they have tied with the Columbus Crew's class of 2004 in second place in the league's record books. Only FC Dallas (19 games unbeaten in 2010) have gone more fixtures without a defeat in the competition.