St. Louis CITY SC score another first in 2-1 win over LAFC.
St. Louis CITY SC beat LAFC 2-1 for the first time in club history on Wednesday night. Here are the takeaways.
Folks, St. Louis CITY SC has finally done it.
Wednesday night was the 8th matchup between St. Louis and LAFC, and it was the first time CITY SC has ended the night with 3 points. Like the story of the first 3 years, that’s a lot of heartbreak… but Yoann Damet’s side has been finding some optimism lately, and now it’s back to back first results.
So, how’d Yoann Damet manage this result?
The starting XI was thrown into the blender due to the sickness rolling through the squad – Conrad Wallem was left off the lineup due to his slow recovery – meaning the Jaziel Orozco starting at wingback opposite Tomas Totland, Sangbin started at R10, Löwen played underneath before slotting back into the double pivot, and Sergio Córdova started up top despite Damet’s admission that he isn’t back to 100% just yet.
CITY SC struck first after a nice build on the counter. Sangbin brought down Timo Baumgartl’s gorgeous ball over the top, worked it through Marcel Hartel and Edu Lowen where Tomas Totland crashed in and scored his first goal in MLS this season.
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“It’s a good ball from [Timo] Baumgartl and behind, great run from Sangbin [Jeong]. I made the run too and wanted to receive it from him, but I didn't. Then he played it to [Marcel] Hartel, who placed it perfectly into my run.” Löwen recounted afterwards. “In that moment, I tried not to rush. Everybody sprints in the box and I tried to put it in the box hard so it would go through the legs and [Tomas] Totland was in a perfect position. It looks easy, but I think you have to score this one. It's not that easy. Sometimes that one goes way over the bar.”
(Sometimes it does indeed, Edu…)
Unfortunately, Damet had to amend his initial plan when Jaziel Orozco reached out to stop Denis Bouanga’s streaking carry into the attacking third and picked up an injury in the process. Orozco had to come out, replaced by Raphael Santos. Tomas Totland switched over to Orozco’s spot on the right, and the match ground to a halt.
Goal secured, St. Louis were then able to sit back in a compact block and look for chances on the counter. Initially, CITY SC frustrated LAFC, concerned with keeping the CONCACAF semifinalists away from dangerous 1v1 battles. However, as the half marched on, LAFC grew into the match, picking up a big chance that sailed high over Roman Bürki.
Burki, for his part, was up to the task, aggressively charging out of the box to snuff out transition moments, and making the DP level saves to keep CITY SC ahead. (More on Burki’s raise in a larger piece later this week, diving into my MLSNP Salary Guide takeaways.)
Bürki made needed saves on 1.13 xGOT but it was the 2 duels, 1 high claim, and 4 recoveries that really stand out in this performance.
Into the 2nd half, Simon Becher came on for Sangbin Jeong to push Sergio Cordova out into the wing. Cordova’s placement was strategic. Damet saw a need for defensive help out wide with Bouanga and Son interplaying through Tomas Totland, and while Totland’s defensive performance was the best on the night – 3 tackles, 3 interceptions, 4 recoveries, and 3 clearances – he quickly picked up a yellow card that caused LAFC to target him further.
“When I came over to the right side, I knew that meant staying with Bouanga, and, you know, he’s a tricky guy to stay with because he sometimes drop deep, he moves a lot but I got some good help from Sergio (Córdova) and Lukas (MacNaughton) today.”
Becher almost doubled the lead in the 62nd minute, but his chance only added to the striker’s G-xG tally. (Becher now has just 1 goal on 3.95 xG.) Edu Löwen kicked it off with a timely interception, and after a series of recycled possession, Córdova’s cross found Raphael Santos who attempted to slide it into Becher after he had the angle on Lloris.
Fortunately, CITY SC weren’t done and on a similar sequence, Raphael Santos made it 2-0 in the 64th minute.
This time, it was LAFC biting too hard on CITY SC’s goal kick, Totland advanced quickly through Hartel, before he fed Córdova into the final third, his ball into the mixer landed on the foot of Santos as Lloris cleared out Becher in the process.
Fallou Fall came on for Edu Löwen shortly afterwards, moving Dante Polvara into the midfield. Like Löwen, Polvara played next to Edelman at times but also pushed forward into more of a 3-1-3-2-1 shape.
LAFC were able to grab one back by exploiting Fallou Fall’s positioning with the newly inserted David Martínez.
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The consolation goal wouldn’t be enough, though as St. Louis finally grabbed 3 points against an increasingly frustrated LAFC squad.
“We have been speaking about leaving our mark,” Damet said. “That was part of the beginning of the season, like what we said to each other; that we wanted to have as many firsts as possible. I'm happy for the guys that we are able to get that result against LAFC. The story of this club is very young. It's very short. So if we can use that as motivation, as well, to create more firsts, I think it's very good. I think it means to the group the meaning we give it, which is that we want to push things. We want to keep growing together, and we want to have those results more often than not. So very happy for them. It's another step.”
It wasn’t a perfect performance, but it was the performance St. Louis needed to pick up the result. It’s real growth given the squad’s current limitations.
“I would have loved to have control in the second half, score the second, be more patient, and create more chances.” Damet said, “you're dealing with those moments and every time in transition they are dangerous. We get back behind the ball. We win the ball back. We are under pressure right away because they need the goal. So, we were not able to sustain that in the second half to regain control more than I wanted to. Again, you have to understand the moments of the game. The momentum was for them, like in the end of the second half, and you have to deal with it. So that's why the credit goes to the players, like in the way they approached it.”
Daniel Edelman won't get any awards for this performance, but as the sometimes lone 6, sometimes left side in the double pivot, he deserves praise for his 11 defensive contributions. The midfielder was everywhere while completing 95% of his passes.
There's still an aspect of Edelman's game that is missing from his performance. On the ball, there's an added sense of danger missing in his attacking movements, but this performance is something he can build from when Durkin returns to the lineup against his former club next Saturday.
It’s a quick turnaround now. St. Louis takes on an unpredictable DC United this weekend before returning home for the US Open Cup match vs Houston and the apertura finale vs Austin. It’s not unreasonable to think CITY SC could finish with 6 more points in the table.
There’s still a lion’s share of work to do in the summer, but a strong finish will go a long way towards setting the table for a 2nd half run into the playoffs.
