Pre-match Preview: CITY SC heads east to face New England, looking for first road win of 2024

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) - St. Louis CITY SC will travel east this weekend to face the New England Revolution following a win against LA Galaxy to open up the month of September.

In what might’ve been the most important match of the year last weekend, St. Louis prevailed with a 2-1 win over Western Conference leaders LA Galaxy. It was the club’s first regular-season win since July 3 and kept playoff hopes alive as the 2024 campaign begins to close.

A Performance to

There hasn’t been a lot to celebrate this year for the CITY SC faithful. But last Sunday, in front of a sold-out CITYPARK, St. Louis was able to secure one of the most important wins of the year. A 2-1 win against the leaders of the Western Conference, LA Galaxy, with some of the best form we’ve seen all season.

Within the first 10 minutes of play, Cedric Teuchert scored his second career MLS goal and his fourth goal in his last seven matches across all competitions to put St. Louis up 1-0. Teuchert has now scored in back-to-back matches for CITY SC - a red-hot start to his MLS career.

After conceding just seconds into the second half, St. Louis responded in the 68th minute with a goal from Marcel Hartel off a cross from Jay Reid. This goal, which showcased the German midfielder’s incredible technical ability, would ultimately decide the match.

It was Hartel’s first career MLS goal and Reid’s third MLS assist.

In addition to an emasculate performance, CITYPARK erupted at the sight of João Klauss and Rasmus ALm making their long-awaited returns.

With the win, CITY SC pushed its unbeaten home streak to four consecutive matches across all competitions and recorded its second straight home win in MLS play. Not to mention, the club took home three points against one of the tougher opponents they’ll face in these final matches, which will determine whether or not a playoff spot is secured.

On The Road Again

As huge as it was to win against LA, there’s still a lot of work left to do if St. Louis wants to salvage this season with a playoff spot.

One key takeaway from the last match was how well-organized CITY’s defense was—a concern after drawing with Portland Timbers the week prior.

Where to begin?

• Jannes Horn was thrust into a massive role as the starting left back and seemed to be very comfortable in his position before being replaced by Jay Reid.
• Kyle Heibert and newly acquired (from New England) center back Henry Kessler were in sync and communicating for the entire match, which is a major reason the Galaxy were held scoreless during the first 45. It was Kessler’s 100th MLS regular season appearance and he did not shy away from the big moment.
• And, of course, Jake Nerwinski’s play at right back was a testament to his recent work with the CITY2 squad - hours before his baby was delivered.

Looking at CITY’s opponent, there are a lot of similarities between the two sides.

St. Louis is still locked in at the No. 13 spot in the Western Conference, but the gap between them and No. 9 Minnesota has narrowed slightly. New England has found themselves in a very similar position, claiming the Eastern Conference’s No. 13 spot with 26 points. The Revolution made it as far as the Round of 32 in this year’s Leagues Cup, losing on penalties to New York City FC. New England has only won once in their last five matches - another stat that somewhat mirrors St. Louis.

“We need to get a result against New England, and we need to keep this momentum going, you know, hoping to get our first win on the road this season,” said Henry Kessler in a press conference.

The Revs are led by senior No. 9 Giacomo Vrioni. The Italian striker has amassed nine goals through 22 matches this year. Carles Gil has been working as the set-up man for this club, with eight assists through 19 appearances in 2024.

CITY SC will likely look towards Cedric Teuchert, Simon Becher, and Marcel Hartel to continue providing offensive firepower. The trick for Interim Coach John Hackworth will be combining the old guard and new guard into one balanced unit. And despite not having won a game on the road this year, there might not be a better place to end that streak than Gillette Stadium, where the Revolution has posted a 2-1-3 record since July.

“I think if you go to the very top of it, it is understanding that it’s not about any individual, it’s about the collective, it’s about the team, it’s about our club,” Hackworth said during a press conference.

Bottom Line: With seven matches remaining, St. Louis will spend most of them on the road, facing opponents well within their range of competition. The one exception: a road match against LAFC to kick off October. Every St. Louis soccer fan re the last time this club faced LAFC. But a second loss doesn’t necessarily mean the season is over. That is, as long as everything else goes to plan. If St. Louis can find success against the other six opponents remaining, there’s room for an LAFC loss while still maintaining playoff contention. Klauss and Alm are back. Which, at the very least, adds a ton of depth to this club as it continues to be led by newer gs. And speaking of returns, this meeting will be the first time Tim Parker’s reunited with St. Louis since his departure over the summer. If they’re chosen to start, both Parker and Kessler will have something to prove in their new threads. Most MLS fans are looking at this game as an irrelevant matchup between two lower-level clubs. But St. Louis has proven that they belong in a more elite standing than we’ve seen throughout 2024. And this match, with all its subplots and overall impact on the rest of the season, is as important as any match they’ve ever played.

“We have to continue what we’ve been doing. We have to believe in ourselves. We have to have a good plan going in. We have to execute that,” said Hackworth.

Kick-off is set for 6:30 p.m. at Gillette Stadium.

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