St. Louis CITY SC prepared to "start fresh" after a strong first half finish.
ST. Louis CITY SC shut out Austin FC to finish out the first half of 2026. Yoann Damet's side is unbeaten in 5, but now, there's work to do.
St. Louis CITY SC head into the World Cup break on the right foot.
Yoann Damet’s side is unbeaten in the last 5 after Saturday’s 3-0 win over Austin FC, marking the first time they’ve accomplished that feat in over 2 years.
So, safe to say it has been a while since the fanbase has felt this level of optimism.
It’s well earned after a performance where another rotated starting XI took care of business against an Austin FC squad that, quite frankly, looked uninterested in playing soccer Saturday afternoon.
In fact, because of injuries and fixture congestion, 18 different players have made the starting XI during this 5 match unbeaten streak, including 746 minutes from U23 players – that’s higher than the total of U23 minutes from Olof Mellberg’s 17 match tenure that ended 1 year ago today.
The straightforward victory heading into the break sets up a perfect opportunity to reflect on the progress under Yoann Damet’s early tenure. Not just in the progress seen from players like Miggy Perez, Daniel Edelman, and Jaziel Orozco, but also in the eye test compared to what the 3-4-2-1 looked like a year ago.
“I have been really impressed with the work they've put in, but also like their coachability and how they took on all the details that we brought to them,” Damet said post-match. “We're playing with those guys in a way that they probably never played before, and it requires being open-minded and accepting, to get out of your comfort zone to play that way. So, really happy where we are at. Again, that being said, we're going to turn the page, and in June we're going to start fresh.”
In defense, St. Louis stifled an Austin attack that didn’t have much bite under interim manager Davy Arnaud. CITY SC kept Austin to just 2 shots on target, worth 0.10 xG on target, and just 0.28 xG from open play. It keeps with the theme of CITY ranking 5th in g+ against through 14 MLS matches despite the rotation along the back line.
In attack, CITY SC found new avenues with Edu Löwen and Marcel Hartel reprising their roles as the dual 10s running off each other. CITY SC looked to overload one side of the pitch – usually the right side – with Raphael Santos hugging the left side and Marcel Hartel floating touchline to touchline.
That created some nice routes in progressing the ball forward, especially as they recycled possession through the CBs, and created moments for Hartel to run off of Löwen and drive into the box. Löwen could either flick into Hartel immediately or hold off, send Totland forward, and create off the cross with multiple levels of runners forward.
Joseph Lowery
These are the movements that were missing from Mellberg’s attack out of the 3-4-2-1 last season, and movements that weren’t available in the first few weeks of Damet’s scheme, but as CITY SC has become more comfortable holding onto the ball, they’ve learned how to create against a compact defensive block.
“You have to provoke the luck.” Damet said, “At the end of the day, you can wait for it or try to provoke it. We have been on the front foot many, many times, today again, in the way we want to attack. You can see the movement on that right side that creates the goal. You can see the first run as well. That brings defenders and keeps them honest.”
That’s why this win is better than simply beating a struggling team; it’s proof of the concept. Damet has transitioned this squad into one that doesn’t have to play direct to create goals and isn’t reliant on set pieces to send more attackers into the box.
This is an attack that has more goals from CBs and CDMs than its strikers this season, a stat reinforced during Saturday’s 3-0 win.
Goals from Fallou Fall and Daniel Edelman sealed 3 points and gave CITY SC some clinical finishing that they desperately missed over the first month of the season. Fall’s goal from Marcel Hartel’s corner was a 0.74 xGOT shot from a 0.12 xG opportunity, while Edelman’s 0.55 xGOT shot made good on a great slip pass from Cedric Teuchert worth 0.27 xG.
It's a great finish that results in 10 points out of 12 and a quarterfinal win to round out the month of May, the best month of results in club history since March of 2023.
However, now there’s work to do.
A Roster Makeover:
While Damet has his squad within touching distance of the final playoff spot – 4 points behind the Galaxy with a match in hand – and while they have an easier schedule when MLS play resumes in 55 days, there’s a clear need to tweak multiple roster spots to better align with the current vision.
Cedric Teuchert:
When the MLSPA salary data dropped earlier this month, many were reminded that the 29 year old German was the club’s 3rd highest earning player. On his day, Teuchert can be one of the most dangerous players on the roster, but the combination of injuries and the change in playstyle has resulted in his contributions not matching his salary cap hit. Teuchert’s best play comes as either the guy stretching the line in transition, or as the second striker running off someone else’s shoulder.
The dual 10 role then becomes an interesting spot for him, especially in an attack that values holding possession vs direct play and pressing the outcome. While CITY SC has benefited from his play this season – his assist on Saturday, his 3rd best team g+ stat – he’s clearly the 3rd option behind Löwen and Sangbin, and it’s a $1,542,000 cap hit that Corey Wray can move elsewhere along with the open DP spot.
Wray has to make a decision on Teuchert’s summer option: either decline and walk away now or pick up the option and try to make it work heading into the winter, where they can restructure his deal.
Teuchert isn’t a great player for a possession based attack, but he can be great in transition, and that’s where declining the option could hurt… but it’s the best opportunity for Wray to immediately restructure the roster.
Jake Gridwood-Reich:
It was a poor piece of business to loan JGR last summer without ensuring that Auckland FC could take on the entirety of his $335,527 contract. So, JGR has occupied a U22 slot all season despite his move back to the A-League, but with his loan expiring, it offers another interesting option for Wray.
JGR is on a low enough salary that CITY SC should be able to buy him down from his U22 designation, but the complication is that… will he see playing time?
The Australian was a bright spot for Auckland, playing nearly 2000 minutes as the RCB in their A-League Championship campaign.
Unfortunately for him, he’s returning to a much improved CB core.
JGR is most likely the 3rd choice CB across the back 3 at this point, and while he can flex into the midfield like Dante Polvara, he still has to improve in possession. Is there another loan in the works for the 22 year old? Would it be beneficial to just have him in the setup and learning under Damet? Or would Auckland be interested in buying JGR to give him solid ground for a future move?
There are a lot of unknowns here, but the most important aspect of this is the U22 spot. If CITY SC wants to keep him, they would have 3 CBs under the age of 22 with MLS experience, that’s not a bad spot to find yourself.
Does Wray use a buyout?
There are just 3 players from the combined Senior and Supplemental who have yet to appear this season.
Caden Glover: Unfortunately, the club’s first ever homegrown signing has not panned out to this point, but another injury has derailed his 2026 season. There’s always time for young players, especially in a different system, but Glover is being displaced by other academy players on the depth chart.
Josh Yaro and Kyle Hiebert: While I don’t think Glover is a realistic buy-out candidate, Josh Yaro and Kyle Hiebert probably have to be at this point. Yaro was re-signed for the 2026 season shortly after the hiring of Corey Wray, but since then, it has become apparent that Yaro doesn’t have a place in the current setup. While even Kyle Hiebert has appeared for CITY2 and on the CITY SC bench when they have just needed the bodies, Damet opted for a shortened bench over bringing in Yaro as an emergency option. Yaro has been a regular in training and has seen time in preseason and in the April International Break friendly against SLU, but it’s apparent that his option won’t be triggered at the end of the season.
Currently, CITY SC has 2 senior roster spots available – 3 if the decline Teuchert’s option – and a buyout of Kyle Hiebert could open up another spot if needed. Meanwhile, a buyout of Yaro would open the club’s final senior supplemental spot, which could be useful given the impact of players like Lukas MacNaughton and Raphael Santos on the current roster.
Apparent needs:
So, where does Corey Wray make these moves?
The needs have been obvious, really, since before the Klauss transfer.
CITY SC needs to use their DP spot on a clinical striker, and it’s general roster flexibility on a quality wingback. Tomas Totland has been good since returning to the lineup, but the struggles of Conrad Wallem and Raphael Santos at times this season point to the definite need for a starting caliber wingback.
Meanwhile, Sergio Córdova’s loan was a good idea; he’s the right profile of player for what Damet needs in his striker, and shows how the dual 10s can work off of proper hold-up play. Córdova most likely won’t return as a TAM player, but even if he does, CITY SC needs to find a player who can put the ball in the back of the net while providing the link-up play and defensive work against the ball.
That’s a big ask, of course, but it is the spot where a top MLS-quality player can push the side forward. While Córdova has actually made good on his 0.88 xG Simon Becher is 2nd in MLS with a -3.92 G-xG stat over the first 14 matches. That's 4 goals that Becher should have finished in run of play, and if CITY SC are more clinical, they would have solidified their case for a playoff spot and made good on their 10th best in MLS expected goal differential.
When MLS play returns in 55 days, CITY SC will host Sporting Kansas City – who will also have a completely reworked roster – and for Yoann Damet, he knows the work is far from done.
“I think tactically we've evolved a lot.” Damet finished. “I don't put too many thoughts into it. I think we are flexible. I think we can adjust the structure offensively and defensively a little bit. At the same time, we've had only two or three days to prepare from one game to another [over the past month], so I would love more time to work on the details of it, working on those partnerships and relationships on the pitch. But I think we're in a good place where we have created a solid foundation to set ourselves up for the next six months, so I'm happy where we are. But there is a lot more work to come, and it never ends.”
