Rafael Navarro's Six Goals in Four Games Power St. Louis Surge | OneFootball

Rafael Navarro scored again on Wednesday, heading home the opener in the fifth minute as St. Louis City beat the New York Red Bulls 3-0 on the road. It was his sixth goal in his last four MLS appearances, extending a scoring run that has turned a mid-season trade into one of the league's most productive forward signings.

The win was St. Louis City's fourth straight and stretched their unbeaten streak to 19 matches, moving them into second place in the Western Conference, three points behind the Vancouver Whitecaps. For the season, Navarro now has 16 goals and five assists, making him the top-scoring Brazilian in MLS in 2026.

Why the move to St. Louis changed his output

Navarro arrived from the Colorado Rapids in a deal worth $12 million — the largest cash-for-player trade between two clubs in MLS history. Trades of that size inside a single league are rare because most high-value transfers flow in from abroad or out to European clubs. This one kept a proven No. 9 inside the conference, and St. Louis immediately benefited: four goals in his first two starts.

Part of that jump is tactical fit. St. Louis plays through quick combinations in the final third, and Navarro's movement off the last line — timing his runs rather than simply camping on the shoulder of the center back — has made him harder to track than he was in Colorado's more direct approach. His header against the Red Bulls came from exactly that kind of near-post run onto a cross, not a scramble finish.

What it means for the Brazilian pipeline in MLS

Navarro, who came through Botafogo and Palmeiras before joining MLS, is now in his fourth season in the league and having his best scoring stretch yet. That matters beyond one club's playoff push. He is the clearest current example of a Brazilian forward who signed in MLS directly — not as a declining European import — and has improved year over year, a pattern clubs increasingly point to when recruiting South American attackers who might otherwise look to Liga MX or the Brazilian top flight.

"I haven't been here long, but I already understand why this team is on such a positive run," Navarro said after the win. "I'm happy to help with goals, and especially to be contributing to the team continuing on this path. I hope we keep this rhythm until the end of the season and reach our goals."

With St. Louis City three points off top spot and Navarro scoring at a rate of roughly a goal every two games since the trade, the next six weeks will determine whether the league's biggest internal swap becomes its best value deal of the season.