MLS-It’s in the Gold

Phillip Fox
4 days ago
2 min read

NATIONAL SOCCER NEWS: www.nationalsoccernetwork.com

It's 1:30 pm, the crowd is ready, the kits are gold, and the city of St. Louis is ready for another shot at glory in year four of their MLS campaign.

STL City SC started the year with a depleted and sick squad, so expectations were low around Energizer Stadium, or maybe because Missouri's first false spring just finished, and the cold air was crisp.

City started the game in a 3-4-2-1 with everyone wondering who the striker would be. Simon Becher took the role and came out strong with 89 minutes on the field and a ferocious energy that was palpable from the stands. Marcel Hartel and Sang-Bin Jeong filed in behind the loan striker, and Hartel was a man on a mission. Wallem, Edelman, Durkin, and Santos held the midfield down. The defence was held down with Burki in goal, Orazco, Baumgartl, and Polvara on the backline.

Saint Louis played a high line and pushed hard against a strong Charlotte side. With 15 interceptions, City proved that they are not going to sit back and wait for the game to come to them, as they did last year. The high-pressure offence and the 15 interceptions allowed City to put 11 shots on target and take 22 shots in total. In contrast, Charlotte took 8 shots total, 3 of which were on target.

But, it all comes out in the wash, and the only stat that matters is the final score line, which ended in a draw in St. Louis.

The first goal at Energizer Park went to Marcel Hartel, and it was much deserved. City won the ball over in the midfield with a strong tackle from Orozco, Edelman recovered the loose ball and slid a beautiful pass to Becher, who saw the overlapping run from Hartel and Hartel slit the ball into the right side of the net, and the crowd went wild! A much-needed sigh of relief covered Energizer Park, and that lasted about 13 minutes with City sending shot after shot at Charlotte Goal Keeper Kahlina, who stood on his head to keep his team in the game. In the 73rd minute of the match, former Crystal Palace star Wilfried Zaha slotted a perfect pass through the center of the box to midfielder Pep Biel (who had the fewest touches of any outfield player to play the entire match), who got a soft touch and tucked into the opposite corner of the net. Unlike in years past, though, City kept going! City brought on former City 2 striker Brendan McSorley, commonly known as McScorely, to try and grab all three points. Shots were galore from STL, and in the 7 added minutes, City crashed the goal time after time, but Kahlina kept his wall strong and kept the ball out of the net.