Pre-match Preview: A Leagues Cup rematch with Club América

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) - After coming out victorious for the first time in a single-match elimination game, St. Louis CITY SC will now get its rematch with Club América in the Leagues Cup Round of 16.

It’s only fitting. The club that sent CITY out of last year’s Leagues Cup, is now all that sits in the way of a quarterfinals appearance.

New Names Shine Once Again

It was a cloudy, somewhat empty night at CITYPARK last Friday. But that didn’t stop this newly vamped St. Louis side from delivering one of their more impressive outings all season. CITY SC soared past Portland Timbers to claim a 3-1 victory in th Round of 32. This was the club’s first-ever victory in an elimination match. And once again, St. Louis’ newcomers were the heroes of the match.

In what’s becoming somewhat of a familiar sighting now, Marcel Hartel, Cedric Teuchert and Simon Becher each found the back of the net to give CITY SC their first home win against the Timbers.

This was only the most recent demonstration of immediate impact from the three attackers, who have scored all six of CITY SC’s goals in the tournament. And helping them to achieve this was fan-favorite Eduard Löwen, who seemed to be seeing the pitch more clearly than anyone in the stadium. Löwen’s two assists brought his total to five on the season, tied with Indiana Vassilev for first in the club.

The Rematch

One of the few difficult results to swallow in last year’s tremendous inaugural season was the 4-0 slaughter by Club América to send St. Louis out of the Leagues Cup before elimination rounds could even begin.

Both clubs average relatively similar numbers in offensive categories such as shots, shots on target, and ing percentage. But Club América’s Leagues Cup journey this season is beginning to look a lot like last year. Las Águilas made it past Atlas FC in the Round of 32. Henry Martín’s 73rd-minute goal sealed the 2-1 win, building off Érick Sánchez’s opener. No surprise here; Martín has etched his name in the scoring column four times in four matches for the Mexican side during 2024-25 league play. In addition, FC Juárez, who beat St. Louis in a penalty shootout to close out this year’s Group Stage, fell to Club América back in July. So, at the very least, this club has beaten a club that St. Louis already had trouble with.

“This is a fresh new year,” said defender Josh Yaro. “It’s a fresh game, it hasn’t been played yet, and we approach it that way.”

CITY SC will likely continue with a similar lineup we’ve seen since the tournament began. A frontline comprised of Teuchert, Hartel and Becher, with Löwen bouncing in between the thirds. Vassilev and Chris Durkin will likely reinforce the midfield, followed by a very unpredictable roster of defenders. Then, of course…Roman Bürki.

Bottom line: In their last four matches, St. Louis is unbeaten across all competitions. This is the club’s first streak of its kind since early May. But, many challenges still remain. Although they are not as strong as last year, Club América still poses a massive threat to a side that hasn’t been able to win on the road this season. Momentum is, however, building in CITY’s favor. With their new gs continuing to make immediate impacts, the future is certainly looking brighter and brighter with each ing week. Sometimes, sacrifice is necessary in order to find success in this sport. CITY has now sacrificed its head coach, and vice-captain. Two losses that will remain tender in the hearts of the fanbase for a while. But if the pace of this club remains as consistent as it’s been, tenderness will turn to glory. Should St. Louis find a way to move past their opponent, they will face Toluca FC or Colorado Rapids in the quarterfinals on August 17.

“We know what we have to do to try to be successful against a team that is the quality of América, and that’s all we can do,” Interim Coach John Hackworth said.

Kick-off is set for 9:30 p.m. at Dignity Health Sports Park.

For more on the Leagues Cup, click here.

For more on St. Louis CITY SC, click here.

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