What's next for St. Louis CITY SC after Derby win? Will Corey Wray land a big fish?

St. Louis CITY SC has set an intriguing baseline following Thursday’s 3-2 win over Sporting Kansas City. Despite Roman Bürki’s still-lingering injury and fitness issues, despite the open U22 and DP spots, Yoann Damet finds his squad within touching distance of the final playoff spot – a position not occupied since week 6 of the 2025 season. 

Damet had harped on the intensive training environment during the club’s second training camp, and that preparation work was on full display in a must-win derby vs SKC. 

Sangbin’s 28th-minute goal (a Bradcycle) capitalized on a 30-minute stretch where St. Louis outshot KC 9-0 and held around 65% possession. It wasn’t all St. Louis all night long, but against the threat of a rebuilt Sporting KC, St. Louis quickly went up 2-0 as Marcel Hartel and Simon Becher pounced on a chance in transition that has become a calling card of the St. Louis attack this season. 

“It was an amazing assist.” Hartel elated, praising Becher’s ability to draw both SKC defenders to the right, leaving the left wide open for his run. 

Even as SKC grabbed one back through an incredible hit by Angolan winger Capita, CITY SC felt like they were in complete control at the half, with SKC’s lone shot on goal finding the side netting. 

Unfortunately, CITY fans would feel a sense of Deja Vu as SKC erased the deficit after Ben Lundt made a critical error in attempting to pass out of pressure. Dejan Jovelic once again daggered St. Louis and potentially ignited a discourse around why Roman Burki wasn’t in goal.

It’s perhaps a sign of the growth under Yoann Damet this season that the match wasn’t over there. History doesn’t repeat itself, but it does rhyme, and CITY SC picked themselves up, and marched back down the pitch with Edu Löwen taking center stage after moving up the pitch following the sub of Sangbin in the 64th minute. 

“We have to be switched on at all times,” Löwen said. “The way we want to play on and off the ball, we have to be ready for all of the possible outcomes and scenarios, so I feel comfortable wherever they need me.”

Löwen exuded comfort and confidence after flipping the switch into the attack, helping create a dangerous FK opportunity just after SKC’s equalizer before calmly executing from the penalty spot. His 10th PK goal since arriving in MLS, moving him to 10/11 all time for CITY SC. Automatic. 

The win was a deserved result in the end, as much as the handball will be remembered as a controversial moment. Simon Becher was adamant in the moment that his shot careened off of Bartlow’s outstretched arm, but the defender swears on his family that the shot hit his chest. VAR disagreed, but as we’ve seen time and time again, consistency in these calls falls on the individual officiating crew and the judgment of the official at the video board.

You make your own luck.

While Edu Löwen and, especially, Marcel Hartel will reap the plaudits for this performance, this was also another match in which Daniel Edelman and Dante Polvara stood tall. 

Edelman’s defensive stat line – 3 interceptions, 2 blocks, 1 tackle, and 5 recoveries – built on another strong showing in the attack with 0.22 expected assists from a big chance created, while Polvara had another highlight-reel tackle to top off a game high 12 defensive contributions. 

“I thought the way he's embraced his position,” Damet said of Polvara’s growth. “The way he's embraced the way we want it played is really good. I've enjoyed, like, feeling his eagerness to get better every day, and I think tonight it shows for that.  I think, again, Timo [Baumgartl] is a big part of that, helping the back line and adjusting and guiding and commanding, as well, in terms of what we want. I thought Dante played a good game tonight. He was involved with and without the ball in the way we want.”

If St. Louis is to continue this run, if they are to move past the Galaxy on Wednesday, they’ll need the pair to continue standing tall. 

Headlining Performances:

Dante Polvara and Daniel Edelman continued on their growth trajectory in Thursday’s win. CITY SC advanced high down the left side, clearly targeting 18 year old left back Ian James before SKC adjusted with a slight formation change around Jake Davis on the left to start the second half. Polvara’s play is worth highlighting as a defender who was given the freedom to maraud into space. Tomas Totland pushed high into the wing as CITY SC attempted to ping balls into him, as Hartel and Edelman filled in the space behind him.

Then, in possession, Polvara was allowed to make late runs into the box, forcing SKC to respect his movement which opened space for Hartel to slip into the box.

It wasn’t a complete performance, SKC were able to build back into the match. However, CITY SC’s danger was apparent throughout the 90 minutes while the two goals against were a golazo and a giveaway from the backup keeper… it was a deserved win.

Roman Bürki’s status

Roman Bürki’s status wasn’t supposed to be a mystery, but the goalkeeper was held out of Thursday’s match after the training staff determined that he still needed time to regain his full fitness. Bürki was injured during last May’s US Open Cup win over Houston and had continued to load-manage throughout the 5 week training camp. However, after training throughout the week and not appearing on the availability report, it was surprising to learn that he was going to be held out of the match. Bürki’s absence, coupled with the recall of Christian Olivarez from his loan in Jacksonville, made it easy to jump to conclusions about the DP Goalkeeper's future. 

According to sources, Olivares’s recall is separate from Bürki’s status. The young keeper returned to St. Louis after a tumultuous time in the USL. Olivarez was the best shotstopper in the league during April, but the expansion side’s defensive structure made it a guarantee that Olivarez would be peppered with chance after chance, making it difficult to develop the keeper’s distribution that will become necessary if he is to be the club’s GK of the future. 

According to Damet, Bürki is available, but his status will depend on how he recovers and his fatigue from a heavy schedule over the back of the season. 

It will become a growing concern if Bürki’s injury continues to linger as CITY SC makes its playoff push. As the club works on securing the DP striker, it will become increasingly tough to compete if Marcel Hartel is the only DP on the pitch playing at an above replacement level. 

“Roman is available.” Damet clarified post-match. “He's available, but, like, every player is at a different level of fitness right now. So we just have to make sure that it checks some of the boxes.
So, you just have to make sure that he can perform for 90 minutes before we throw him back here onto the pitch. We assess every day, and I feel like we try to push those decisions as late as possible.”

Bürki was back in training Monday, leading the GK group through training; all expectations are that he is available but all expectations were that the DP keeper would be between the sticks last Thursday.

A busy transfer window.

Corey Wray has started to lay the groundwork for a busy transfer window with a DP and U22 spot to spend. That work started in MLS NEXT Pro, acquiring Zach Zengue on loan with an option to buy for $50,000 GAM. Zengue has been one of the best wingbacks in the league this season, a top 5 player in goals added and expected goals, occupying a long-term position of need. Doubly important after CITY2 leading goalscorer Palmer Ault was signed to a first team contract. Ault made his CITY SC debut on Thursday. 

The club followed those moves by acquiring former USYNT attacker and FC Dallas Academy product Nighte Pickering from Las Vegas Lights on a free transfer. Pickering was once one of the fastest rising stars in the 2nd division after leaving the Dallas academy to sign in Memphis before Memphis folded, leaving him to sign in Vegas. 

Pickering was specifically signed by CITY2, but he fits a profile that CITY SC has been looking for in targeting depth attackers. Depth attackers like former Crew attacker Alexandru Matan.

Tom Bogert reported Saturday that the 26 year old Romanian  is on his way to St. Louis after a stint in Greece to rejoin Damet and Wray, who worked with the attacker during their stint in Columbus. 

Matan is essentially the replacement for Cedric Teuchert’s role as the 4th choice 10 behind Sangbin and Edu Lowen on the right side and Hartel on the left. The midfielder was a crucial depth piece for Columbus through their MLS Cup and CONCACAF Champions Cup Final campaigns but left as a free agent. 3 appearances in the UAE Pro League for Dibba Al-Hisn later and Matan made his way to Greece with Panetolikos. Now, returning stateside, Matan will look to return to the form that saw him grab 11 goal contributions in 1750 minute across all comps two seasons ago. 

St. Louis’s summer business so far has been more about shoring up the squad’s depth but there is still a big item on the agenda – a DP striker.

St. Louis took a big swing on Chicago Fire striker Hugo Cuypers this month but the MLS Golden Boot leader is on his way to Monterrey.

Gregg Berhalter answered questions about the transfer Monday, citing Cuypers desire to move following the club’s acquisition of Robert Lewandowski and pursuit of Leon Goretzka. Berhalter stated that the club only considered Monterrey’s offer despite multiple MLS clubs pursuing the striker all summer. 

Whether that means no MLS club’s offer met Rayados’s $7.5 million + add ons, Chicago preferred to sell outside of MLS, or that Cuypers only wanted Monterrey remains to be seen but it does mean that CITY SC’s pursuit came up short. Sources tell me that CITY SC have the ability to spend in pursuit of their DP striker, but the ability to spend doesn’t mean the ability to convince players that St. Louis can compete in MLS and, ultimately, CONCACAF. 

At the very least, it’s a hint the Corey Wray is fishing for a big contributor. 

Looking ahead to Galaxy

Ahead of Wednesday’s trip to Carson, CITY SC signed CB Jaziel Orozco to a long-term extension through the 2029-30 season. Fitting as the defender could play a big role as the club looks to jump into a playoff spot for the first time in well over a year.

Conrad Wallem trained off to side on Monday after indicating he needed a sub ahead of the 2nd half during Thursday’s win. The sub was unexpected, but as the club prepares for Wednesday night, Damet could return to a look that featured Orozco in the wide spaces, or Orozco could slot in for Lucas MacNaughton following a decent if not uneventful performance. 

It’s a good time for CITY SC to take on the Galaxy who have had a heap of injury issues on their own. Joseph Paintsil is the only DP in the lineup following Gabriel Pec’s sale last week and the Galaxy have yet to replace the Brazilian outside of claiming Robert Taylor after he was waived by Austin. Complicating the issue was Erik Thommy’s injury in the first half of El Tráffico, an injury that will most likely keep the former SKC midfielder out of Wednesday’s match as well. 

The big question is: How will the Galaxy respond from a 0-3 trouncing at home to their rivals on Friday night? 

St. Louis will have to respect Lucas Sanabria, Paintsil, and of course, Marco Reuss, but if St. Louis were under the weight of pressure in Thursday’s opener, the shoe is on the other foot in California. 

Yoann Damet will also have an eye on rotation with Colorado visiting Energizer on Saturday, that rotation is a bit of a mystery but there are a few scenarios Damet rolled with before the break that could shed some light. Maybe this is a match where Orozco is at wingback to handle Paintsil, there’s also a scenario where Damet feels Edu Löwen should come off the bench to save some legs for the weekend, or perhaps, this is where a young player like Mykhi Joyner can really show his value. 

Alright, thanks for reading, I’ll be back later this week with a breakdown of what happened vs the Galaxy, and a preview of what’s to come vs the Rapids. If you like my work, consider subscribing.