Unbeaten in 12, St. Louis CITY SC beat Houston 2-1 amidst even more upheaval.

St. Louis CITY SC hosted the Houston Dynamo on Saturday night, a team on an 11-match unbeaten streak vs a team that hadn’t allowed a goal in 5 matches, all while the former lost a player who has embodied the heart of the roster over the last few years, Eduard Löwen. 

It’s another night where Yoann Damet proved his worth beyond his status as a first-year manager. The first starts for Tomáš Ostrák and Alex Mǎțan this season, combined with a roster without Edu Löwen (traded) and Mykhi Joyner (sick). The rotation had to be a compromise, with the early rotation seeing Conrad Wallem tuck into the midfield as Ostrák and Sangbin overloaded on the right side. 

It was also a night that showcased some of what Damet has been preaching thanks to Mǎțan’s presence on the left side, the ability to pull back possession and rotate through Roman Bürki to manipulate space instead of pressing the moment and losing control. That patience led directly to the first goal, as Mǎțan found Simon Becher in the box for his 3rd goal in 3 matches. 

Some more Simon Becher facts since the World Cup: he has scored 4 goals, just 1 behind Denis Bouanga, who has scored the most over the past 7 matches. Becher has generated 5.5 xG + xA, 4th in the league behind Owusu, Almirón, and Kelsy, along with 0.93 goals added, which ranks 10th in MLS over the past 7 matches. 

“I just try to be active in the box and be ready.” Becher said, “And I think I was already moving to the ball when Matan turned, so I got a good jump on it, and I knew where the goal was. So just try to turn and put it on target. Obviously, nice to get some goals and help the team pick up some points.”

No one will want to hear it, but Becher is a top 5 striker in MLS since the break; every rumor and player departure only serves to give him power.

Houston bounced back after the goal, taking control of the match, but failing to find a dangerous opportunity. St. Louis did a good job at keeping Ben Olsen’s side to the perimeter. In fact, of Houston’s 18 shot attempts, 15 were “poor” shots worth less than 0.1 xG.  

The Dynamo finally found their equalizer in the 75th minute through Ibrahim Aliyu.

However, as the match looked destined for a draw, Yoann Damet’s subs regained momentum. Carlo Holse found his footing in the attack, and his switch, eventually finding Palmer Ault after Hector Herrera’s ill-advized backheel into the oncoming pressure, led to Tomas Totland taking on the backline. His pass was deflected through the middle of the pitch, and it was a late arriving Dante Polvara who recognized the opening and sealed the match. 

“I thought he gave us some legs in the middle.” Damet said of Polvara afterwards. “ He gave us a little bit more physical presence. He found himself at the right time at the right place. It's a good finish. He could have scored the second. Happy for him. Happy for the guys. The vibe around those moments is very, very good because as you can imagine, guys are happy for each other.”

St. Louis now sits even on points with San Jose and Dallas in front of them with another 6 pointer on the docket next Sunday before back to back road matches in Cascadia. 

After the match, Eduard Löwen said his goodbyes on the pitch, closing another chapter in what has been a chaotic August. 

Here are some things that have happened to St. Louis CITY SC this month:

• St. Louis CITY SC finalized the signing of Carlo Holse from Samsonspor for a club record fee.
• Marcel Hartel completes what might be the greatest 30 minute stretch in recent MLS history.
• Marcel Hartel is sold to Hannover for a very low fee citing a unique family situation.
• Without Hartel, St. Louis CITY SC beat San Jose 1-3 to extend the unbeaten streak to 10.
• St. Louis CITY SC draw last place Sporting KC as rumors of Edu Löwen’s exit swirl.
• Tom Bogert reported that Edu Löwen will be traded to San Jose for $425,000 GAM plus another $500,000 GAM in add-ons.
• St. Louis beat the previously top ranked Houston Dynamo 2-1 to extend the unbeaten streak to 12, Simon Becher scores his 4th goal in 6 matches, 5th goal contribution in 7 matches. 

Yoann Damet reflected on the whirlwind afterwards:

“The key is the team. The team comes first. Every individual adds values to the team. That's undeniable. But at the same time, every individual needs the team to flourish, to express themselves and that's been the message since day one. I'm really, really proud of what we are doing and how the guys are applying themselves every day and how they are adding value to the team, and at the same time they know that the team is giving them the platform to express themselves.”

I highlighted why, ultimately, I think the Löwen sale makes tactical sense earlier this week, and frankly, I want players to be where thier talents can best fit into the system. 

However, it does tighten the margin of error for both Corey Wray to follow through on that DP target and for the seamless integration of Holse and Mǎțan. It’s so far so good on the latter, but there isn’t a patience for close calls as the roster has the same needs it had at the start of the window. The market has been active and as much as the acquisitions of Zach Zengue and Tahir Reid-Brown are great for the future, there has to be some recognition that this season can be more than year one of the rebuild. 

Does the Front Office understand the urgency?

Standout Performances:

It was the first real notable night for Mǎțan and Holse, and it needed to be given the narrative heading into the match. Afterwards, it’s much easier to see how the pair can lead the charge in the attack along with Sangbin, Simon Becher, and *insert striker target here*. 

Carlo Holse was a key distributor over the final 28 minutes, looking a lot more like that DP facilitator then anything on the pitch before his arrival. St. Louis were out of sorts after Mǎțan’s patient play on the opening goal, and failed to really make their mark on the second half until his insertion despite keeping Houston to minimal opportunities. 

Holse should have more leeway from here. Damet outlined a plan for the Danish attacker’s integration this month, now with a week break until Dallas, he should only improve on his 0.32 goals added. 

“I'm happy for Carlo.” Damet said, “It's an interesting dynamic. He comes in like the last three games and comes in moments where there is a little bit of chaos, like the last 20, 30 minutes of a game are never too nice, especially when you play every three days and there is a little bit of fatigue. So credit to him for adjusting. It’s good, one step at a time.”

Alright, just one more match during this transfer window and then it’s just 12 matches left in the the regular season and a pesky US Open Cup Semifinal between two teams who are playing roulette with their rosters. 

Buckle up.