St. Louis City comes into the field this weekend with two uneasy realities: the dismal spell in MLS and needing to prove they're still a force to be reckoned with. With seven league matches without a win, Olof Mellberg's team hosts San Diego FC at Energizer Park, hoping to exit the turmoil area in the Western Conference.
San Diego, on the other hand, arrives more relaxed in the standings, but still nursing fresh wounds from playing on the road. The game, other than bringing together two works in progress at varying periods, is a sort of turning point for the home club.
With only 10 points and at 13th position in the conference, St. Louis has scored a mere eight goals from 11 games and been inconsistent even when playing at home. The US Open Cup win over Union Omaha last Wednesday was some temporary reprieve. But everyone connected to the club realizes the true test lies within MLS, and it's on their doorstep demanding answers.
Seven games with no win and the weight of the standings
Since March 16, when they earned a second consecutive win, City has not won a league match. Seven games and still no win, five of those defeats. Even with some respectable draws, the 2–2 against Los Angeles FC and the 0–0 against league leaders Vancouver Whitecaps, the sequence is disconcerting. The team have proven that they can hold their own against the top teams, but cannot turn effort into achievement.
This gap in between performance and outcome is starting to take a psychological toll. It's clear that the team lost faith at critical situations and disintegrates when it has to control the game. The 2–0 US Open Cup win, courtesy of goals from Joey Zalinsky and João Klauss, was welcome, but fireworks alone will not catapult the club from last position.
San Diego FC has a successful first season
On the other hand is San Diego FC, which has its inaugural MLS season with standards being fulfilled. They are managed by Mikey Varas and have 17 points and are ranked fourth in the West. They demonstrated their potency by thrashing FC Dallas 5-0 during their last outing, which was a delight to fans and silenced critics.
Lozano and Dreyer shined brighter than anyone else: the pair accounted for three goals and three assists, sharing a mark last done in 2018. But despite the homecoming celebration at Snapdragon Stadium, there is suspicion about their away play. They've lost three straight games away, conceding eight goals. The team needs to break that habit if they want to stay in the upper half of the table.
The rematch and a history of evenness
This will be merely the second matchup between the clubs in history. In the initial one, a scoreless tie at Snapdragon Stadium was less about St. Louis's attacking flair and more about its defensive mastery. City did manage to restrict San Diego to a lone shot on target and, playing on the road as it did, departed with a sense of job well done.
And once the home turf is turned around, pressure will be even bigger. City knows it must not only replicate the defensive performance but also produce more from possession. Scoring has been a problem, and numbers prove it: the attack of the team is the second worst in the conference, along with LA Galaxy.