ѿý City SC beat writer Tom Timmermann and co-host Beth O'Malley chat about City's near-tie against the Columbus Crew and how the players showed encouraging improvement despite the loss. Unfortunately, the team's schedule isn't giving them a reprieve.
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ѿý Post-Dispatch
In the 13th minute of Sunday’s game with Columbus, Cedric Teuchert had a chance to put ѿý City SC up 2-0. City SC’s high press forced a turnover, with Alfredo Morales stealing a pass, and then it went from him to Klauss to Marcel Hartel and then to Teuchert, whose burst of speed got him past a defender, with only goalkeeper Patrick Schulte between him and the net at about 8 yards out. Teuchert took one touch and then let it rip, but the ball went over the crossbar and into the Supporters Section.
The disappointment for him did not go away quickly.
“I think I have to score this,” Teuchert said. “For myself, maybe it’s an easy goal. So I think after the game and at home, I talk a lot with my wife. ‘Why’d I shoot that hard?’ Yeah, it was not good. So yeah, Saturday I have another chance to give it back to the fans.”
If Klauss got a weight off his back when he scored against Columbus, his first goal in almost a year (some of which he was hurt), the weight has plenty of other places to land, and Teuchert is a candidate. After having five goals and four assists in 10 MLS games after coming over in the summer transfer window last season (plus two more goals in Leagues Cup), Teuchert has one goal and one assist in seven games this season and his one goal was not a tough one, with the Los Angeles Galaxy botching a corner kick and letting Teuchert have a tap-in into an open net for a goal.
ѿý City SC forward Cedric Teuchert takes a shot during a match against the Columbus Crew on Sunday, April 13, 2025, at Energizer Park in ѿý.
Michael Gulledge
The 2-1 loss to Columbus looked like the first step on the road to recovery for City SC. The team, with a franchise record four-game MLS losing streak, is looking to win for the first time since March 15, but after a near miss against the team with the second-best record in Columbus, City SC now faces the team with the best record, Vancouver, at Energizer Park.
The goal by Klauss against Columbus is keeping City SC from being tied for last in the league in scoring. Instead, it’s in 28th place with five goals, one more than New England and San Jose. Eight games into the season, no one on the team has more than one goal. While the Columbus game showed prospects of the offense perking up, the team still has scored just one goal in its past four games.
Teuchert’s chance had the highest expected-goals number of any City SC shot in the game at 30 percent.
“I had a big chance to change it on Sunday for 2-0,” he said. “One day after the game it was pretty hard for me to accept this, because I think, for myself, I have to score this one, and I think the game is different. I work hard for the chance, and then I try to score.
“I think my first touch was good. Maybe I can shoot the first one, but I think the second step was also good. At the end of the day, I have to score. And really, I don’t know why I shoot that hard. It’s not my best shot I think.”
It’s been a disjointed start to the season for Teuchert. He missed part of training camp when he went back to Germany to get his green card, which while a good thing for the franchise since Teuchert now qualifies as a domestic player and doesn’t take up an international spot, his return was so close to the start of play that he played only nine minutes in the opener and then 45 the second week. He came out of the Philadelphia game early with a hamstring injury that kept him out of the Austin game entirely, and he played just 10 minutes against Sporting Kansas City. With all that, he’s started just five of the first eight games, though he said his hamstring is fine now.
But the scoring is a problem. He’s taken just seven shots in seven games and put only two on goal.
“I’m not frustrated,” he said. “I think it’s just because we lost the last four games so I think it’s normal as a player that we are frustrated when we lose games. But I think we keep working, we keep working on the pitch, in the meetings, and, yeah, I think, and I hope, on Saturday, we can celebrate the win after hard weeks with the fans.”
“I don’t think he’s at completely full fitness,” coach Olof Mellberg said. “I think he will have to continue to build on that, hopefully get some weeks now where he can train all the time, because he hasn’t been able to. So, yeah, looking forward to seeing him more in training. And I think he will continue to improve.”
To get out of the tough stretch its going through, Teuchert and Hartel (and Simon Becher and Klauss) need to crank up the scoring. More chances will help that, and it hasn’t been helped by the continued absence of Eduard Lowen for personal reasons. (There’s still no expected return date.) The team’s injury picture looks a little better with the likely return of Tomas Totland and Jannes Horn, the right back and left back respectively. Roman Burki is back in practice and amping up his work, but Mellberg said he’s “hopefully just a couple of weeks away.” That too would give City SC’s offense a boost.
“Obviously, we’re all affected by not winning for some time,” Mellberg said, “and extremely disappointed. I think the confidence is still high and belief in what we’re doing in training and in games. We have a good game plan this week as well. Players are on board and ready for (Saturday).”
ѿý City SC draws Union Omaha for U.S. Open Cup on May 7
City SC midfielder Miguel Perez and Union Omaha midfielder Pedro Dolabella tussle for possession on Tuesday, April 25, 2023, in the second half of a third-round game of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup tournament at Energizer Park, then known as CityPark.
Christian Gooden, Post-Dispatch
ѿý City SC has played only two matches in the U.S. Open Cup in its brief history, and still it managed to land a rematch for its third game.
City SC was matched with Union Omaha of the third division USL League 1 in the draw for the round of 32 on Thursday. The match will be played Wednesday, May 7 at Energizer Park, kicking off at 7 p.m. The draw for the round of 16 was also held, and if City SC wins, it would face either Minnesota United of Major League Soccer or Louisville City of the USL Championship. That match would be on the road.
City SC and Union Omaha met in 2023, with City SC winning 5-1 before a crowd of 22,423 here. That was the largest crowd for a third-round match in the Open Cup’s modern era (since the start of MLS) and the 10th-largest crowd in any round. City SC got two goals from Aziel Jackson, one each from Akil Watts and Eduard Lowen and an Omaha own goal.
Two weeks later, City SC was eliminated in the Open Cup by the Chicago Fire, 2-1. City SC did not take part in the 2024 Open Cup because it had qualified for the CONCACAF Champions Cup.
Omaha was one of four third-division clubs to knock off a second-division USL Championship squad in the third round and advance. Omaha defeated San Antonio 1-0. Omaha has nine wins, three losses and two draws in its Open Cup history, with both draws being followed by wins on penalty kicks. Omaha is 1-2 in League 1 matches this season.
ѿý City SC's Josh Yaro says it only looked like he was knocked out in game Sunday
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ѿý City SC center back Josh Yaro says he feels fine, and has always felt fine, including when the league’s concussion spotter ordered him off the field for further inspection in the first half on Sunday.
“Everything was fine,” Yaro said Wednesday. “I was feeling great.”
But the concerns were well-based. Yaro had taken a ball to the head blocking a Columbus cross in the 23rd minute and then spun to the ground, laying on his back, motionless, with his arms outstretched. Referee Rosendo Mendoza immediately called for trainers to come on the field and told Yaro’s teammates to stay back.
But if it looked to many like Yaro had fallen to the ground unconscious, Yaro insists that was not the case.
“The way I fell was dramatic,” he said. “I should probably take some acting classes and be an actor. But when the trainers came on, I was telling them answers to questions I knew they were going to ask already, and so I mean, immediately, they thought, ‘No, he’s fine.’ But I guess they said I wasn’t moving, which I didn’t actually notice, because for me, like, when I fall, I don’t roll around. I just lay there.
“Everything is fine. It’s just a misunderstanding, I guess.”
What made the situation confusing was that Yaro got checked by the concussion doctor on the sidelines and then returned to play. But that doctor had apparently not seen how Yaro had fallen to the ground. When the replay was seen elsewhere, the message came back to ѿý to stop play and take Yaro to the dressing room for further testing. Yaro and coach Olof Mellberg both looked puzzled by the request after Yaro had been cleared to return.
“That was confusing because I didn’t know where it was coming from,” Yaro said. “And then I went in and they gave me the test right away. Fifteen minutes later, they were like, ‘Yeah, you’re OK, you’re good.’ So I could have, literally, if I wasn’t subbed out and we had to use it, I could have come back in, back in and played.”
Yaro didn’t have to come out of the game for the check, but City SC would have played a man down until he came back, which Mellberg obviously didn’t want to do.
“It’s a balance,” Mellberg said. “You want him to stay on, obviously, but also having respect for that protocol. ... He said he was perfectly fine in the moment also. But I know myself. I also told everyone else I was perfect, I just wanted to play on. And then you come off afterwards and I basically lost years of my life in memory. It comes back, but you need to have a respect for when that happens.”
Comeback trail
City SC had eight players listed as out on last week’s league availability report, more than any other team in the league. That list should get shorter this week.
Right back Tomas Totland and left back Jannes Horn both practiced with the team Wednesday, and Mellberg said they’ll be available on Saturday. Roman Burki had gloves on in practice for the first time since suffering a fracture in his right hand, though he didn’t do the full session. Still, Mellberg has said that, as a goalkeeper, Burki would be back quickly once cleared to play. Joakim Nilsson, who hurt his knee two weeks ago, trained separately from the team, but Mellberg said he couldn’t be ruled out for Saturday.
The return of Totland and Horn would be big for City SC. Part of the problem for the offense has been the lack of support from outside backs.
“It’s a position we don’t have that many options,” Mellberg said. “So it would be really nice to see them back.”
What’s hot?
While Major League Soccer considers whether to shift from a season that runs from February to November to one that goes from August to May, it seems like center back Timo Baumgartl would be all in favor of avoiding the summer.
Asked how it felt to make his first start with City SC on Sunday, his first response was, “Pretty hot.”
It was only 79 degrees at kickoff, which as anyone who has been in ѿý for longer than four months will tell you counts as a pretty nice day.
“For me, it was hot,” Baumgartl said. “I know it’s getting hotter in summer, but for me, it was hot. ... My dog as well. In the morning, he was like, ‘Oh, it’s too hot for me.’”
Notes
The draw for the U.S. Open Cup’s round of 32, which is where City SC and other MLS teams will enter the competition, and round of 16 will be held Thursday at 8:15 a.m. on the CBS Sports Golazo Network. City SC will host its match at Energizer Park on May 6 or 7.
City SC has lost four straight MLS games, a first for the club. It did lose four consecutive games in its first season, but one was a U.S. Open Cup game and the streak didn’t become a four-game streak until well after the fact.
City SC had a game at Dallas interrupted by thunderstorms after 50 minutes and it was restarted a month later. City SC lost that game, but the result goes into the books as having happened on the day the game started, rather than the day it finished. So that turned a three-game losing streak into a four-game losing streak a month after the fact.
City SC announced it will be working with MERS Goodwill to further its mission of creating career opportunities for adults, including the Excel Center, located near Energizer Park, an accredited high school that gives adults the chance to earn a high school diploma and college credits.
Photos: City SC takes on the Columbus Crew at Energizer Park
ѿý City SC forward Klauss celebrates following a goal in the first half against the Columbus Crew, Sunday, April 13, 2025, at Energizer Park in ѿý.
Michael Gulledge
Columbus Crew defender Steven Moreira and ѿý City SC midfielder Célio Pompeu move for the ball, Sunday, April 13, 2025, at Energizer Park in ѿý.
Michael Gulledge
ѿý City SC forward Cedric Teuchert dribbles the ball defended by Columbus Crew midfielder Darlington Nagbe, Sunday, April 13, 2025, at Energizer Park in ѿý.
Michael Gulledge
ѿý City SC forward Cedric Teuchert takes a shot during a match against the Columbus Crew on Sunday, April 13, 2025, at Energizer Park in ѿý.
Michael Gulledge
Columbus Crew forward Jacen Russell-Rowe moves the ball guarded by ѿý City SC defender Timo Baumgartl, Sunday, April 13, 2025, at Energizer Park in ѿý.
Michael Gulledge
ѿý City SC forward Klauss celebrates a goal against the Columbus Crew, Sunday, April 13, 2025, at Energizer Park in ѿý. City lost, 2-1.
Michael Gulledge
ѿý City SC forward Klauss, left, and midfielder Célio Pompeu celebrate a goal against the Columbus Crew, Sunday, April 13, 2025, at Energizer Park in ѿý. City lost, 2-1.
Michael Gulledge
ѿý City SC celebrates a goal during a match against the Columbus Crew, Sunday, April 13, 2025, at Energizer Park in ѿý. City lost, 2-1.
Michael Gulledge
ѿý City SC forward Klauss pats his heart while looking at the supporters section following a goal during a game against the Columbus Crew, Sunday, April 13, 2025, at Energizer Park in ѿý. City lost, 2-1.
Michael Gulledge
ѿý City SC forward Klauss celebrates a goal against the Columbus Crew, Sunday, April 13, 2025, at Energizer Park in ѿý. City lost, 2-1.
Michael Gulledge
Energizer Park before a match between ѿý City SC and Columbus Crew, Sunday, April 13, 2025, in ѿý. City lost, 2-1.
Michael Gulledge
ѿý City SC midfielder Conrad Wallem passes the ball during a match against the Columbus Crew, Sunday, April 13, 2025, at Energizer Park in ѿý. City lost, 2-1.
Michael Gulledge
ѿý City SC forward Klauss hugs midfielder Alfredo Morales after a goal against the Columbus Crew, Sunday, April 13, 2025, at Energizer Park in ѿý. City lost, 2-1.
Michael Gulledge
ѿý City SC midfielder Conrad Wallem throws in the ball during a match against the Columbus Crew, Sunday, April 13, 2025, at Energizer Park in ѿý. City lost, 2-1.
Michael Gulledge
ѿý City SC midfielder Célio Pompeu takes a shot defended by Columbus Crew defender Steven Moreira, Sunday, April 13, 2025, at Energizer Park in ѿý. City lost, 2-1.
Michael Gulledge
ѿý City SC supporter Melo Guzel leads chants before a match against the Columbus Crew, Sunday, April 13, 2025, at Energizer Park in ѿý. City lost, 2-1.
Michael Gulledge
ѿý City SC midfielder Marcel Hartel reacts to after a goal was called off during a match against the Columbus Crew, Sunday, April 13, 2025, at Energizer Park in ѿý. City lost, 2-1.
Michael Gulledge
ѿý City SC forward Klauss claps and looks at the supporter section following a goal against the Columbus Crew, Sunday, April 13, 2025, at Energizer Park in ѿý. City lost, 2-1.
Michael Gulledge
Joe Buck delivers the game ball before a match between ѿý City SC and Columbus Crew, Sunday, April 13, 2025, at Energizer Park in ѿý. City lost, 2-1.
Michael Gulledge
Teams are introduced before a match between Columbus Crew and ѿý City SC, Sunday, April 13, 2025, at Energizer Park in ѿý. City lost, 2-1.
Michael Gulledge
ѿý City SC forward Klauss celebrates a goal against the Columbus Crew, Sunday, April 13, 2025, at Energizer Park in ѿý. City lost, 2-1.
Michael Gulledge
ѿý City SC defender Henry Kessler moves the ball during a match against Columbus Crew, Sunday, April 13, 2025, at Energizer Park in ѿý. City lost, 2-1.
Michael Gulledge
ѿý City SC defender Joshua Yaro signs a child’s poster following a match against the Columbus Crew, Sunday, April 13, 2025, at Energizer Park in ѿý. City lost, 2-1.
Michael Gulledge
ѿý City SC midfielder MyKhi Joyner goes up for the ball defended by Columbus Crew defender Mohamed Farsi, Sunday, April 13, 2025, at Energizer Park in ѿý. City lost, 2-1.
Michael Gulledge
ѿý City SC forward Klauss goes up for the ball during a match against the Columbus Crew, Sunday, April 13, 2025, at Energizer Park in ѿý.
Michael Gulledge
Columbus Crew defender Malte Amundsen kicks the ball defended by ѿý City SC forward Simon Becher, Sunday, April 13, 2025, at Energizer Park in ѿý. City lost, 2-1.
Michael Gulledge
Columbus Crew defender Malte Amundsen and ѿý City SC midfielder Conrad Wallem move for the ball, Sunday, April 13, 2025, at Energizer Park in ѿý. City lost, 2-1.
Michael Gulledge
ѿý City SC supporters before a match against the Columbus Crew, Sunday, April 13, 2025, at Energizer Park in ѿý. City lost, 2-1.
Michael Gulledge
The ball is above City SC forward Klauss’ head as he and other players battle for it in a game against Columbus on Sunday, April 13, 2025, at Energizer Park.
Michael Gulledge photo
ѿý City SC defender Akil Watts moves the ball during a match against the Columbus Crew, Sunday, April 13, 2025, at Energizer Park in ѿý. City lost, 2-1.
Michael Gulledge
Columbus Crew goalkeeper Patrick Schulte during a match against ѿý City SC, Sunday, April 13, 2025, at Energizer Park in ѿý. City lost, 2-1.
Michael Gulledge
Columbus Crew goalkeeper Patrick Schulte inbounds the ball during a game against ѿý City SC, Sunday, April 13, 2025, at Energizer Park in ѿý.
Michael Gulledge
ѿý City SC defender Kyle Hiebert and Columbus Crew defender Mohamed Farsi battle for the ball, Sunday, April 13, 2025, at Energizer Park in ѿý.
Michael Gulledge
ѿý City SC forward Simon Becher and Columbus Crew defender Malte Amundsen move for the ball, Sunday, April 13, 2025, at Energizer Park in ѿý. City lost, 2-1.
Michael Gulledge
ѿý City SC midfielder Célio Pompeu and Columbus Crew defender Steven Moreira go for the ball, Sunday, April 13, 2025, at Energizer Park in ѿý. City lost, 2-1.
Michael Gulledge
ѿý City SC forward Cedric Teuchert dribbles the ball during a match against the Columbus Crew midfielder Darlington Nagbe, Sunday, April 13, 2025, at Energizer Park in ѿý.
Michael Gulledge
ѿý City SC forward Klauss and Columbus Crew defender Steven Moreira go up for the ball, Sunday, April 13, 2025, at Energizer Park in ѿý.
Michael Gulledge
A ѿý City SC supporter leads chants during a game against the Columbus Crew, Sunday, April 13, 2025, at Energizer Park in ѿý.
Michael Gulledge
Columbus Crew goalkeeper Patrick Schulte takes a moment before a match against the ѿý City SC, Sunday, April 13, 2025, at Energizer Park in ѿý.
Michael Gulledge
ѿý City SC forward Klauss moves to the ball during a match against the Columbus Crew, Sunday, April 13, 2025, at Energizer Park in ѿý.
Michael Gulledge
Columbus Crew defender Mohamed Farsi moves the ball defended by ѿý City SC midfielder Célio Pompeu, Sunday, April 13, 2025, at Energizer Park in ѿý.
Michael Gulledge
ѿý City SC midfielder Célio Pompeu and Columbus Crew defender Steven Moreira go for the ball, Sunday, April 13, 2025, at Energizer Park in ѿý. City lost, 2-1.
Michael Gulledge
Columbus Crew defender Steven Moreira and ѿý City SC midfielder Célio Pompeu move for the ball, Sunday, April 13, 2025, at Energizer Park in ѿý.
Michael Gulledge
ѿý City SC forward Simon Becher and Columbus Crew midfielder Sean Zawadzki collide, Sunday, April 13, 2025, at Energizer Park in ѿý. City lost, 2-1.
Michael Gulledge
ѿý City SC head coach Olof Mellberg yells instructions during a match against the Columbus Crew, Sunday, April 13, 2025, at Energizer Park in ѿý.
Michael Gulledge
Offense improves despite the loss: STL Soccer Talk
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ѿý City SC beat writer Tom Timmermann and co-host Beth O'Malley chat about City's near-tie against the Columbus Crew and how the players showed encouraging improvement despite the loss. Unfortunately, the team's schedule isn't giving them a reprieve.
