St. Louis CITY SC dropped their first match at Energizer Park since September 2024, falling 1-0 to Austin FC on Sunday afternoon. The visitors jumped ahead through a strike in the 33rd minute, marking the first goal CITY SC has conceded at home this season. Following halftime, the teams competed in a back-and-forth affair until the match was suspended due to inclement weather in the 68th minute. Play resumed after a 55-minute delay, and although CITY SC outshot their opponents 16 to 8 and earned 8 corner kicks to Austin’s 3 in the match, the team’s comeback effort came up short. St. Louis CITY SC’s next match will be a showdown with cross-state rival Sporting Kansas City on Saturday, April 5, at 7:30 p.m. CT from Children’s Mercy Park.
Postgame Notes
- – CITY SC has allowed just one goal across its three home matches
- – Alfredo Morales made his first start for CITY SC
- – With four key passes, Marcel Hartel now has the sixth-most key passes in MLS (16)
March 30, 2025 – Energizer Park (St. Louis, MO)
Goal-Scoring Plays
ATX: Myrto Uzuni (Osman Bukari), 33rd minute – Myrto Uzuni scored with a right footed shot from the center of the box to the middle-left zone
Scoring Summary
ATX: Myrto Uzuni (Osman Bukari), 33’
Misconduct Summary
STL: Jannes Horn (caution), 40’
ATX: Myrto Uzuni (caution), 45’
ATX: Brandon Vasquez (caution), 80’
ATX: Jader Obrian (caution), 83’
ATX: Besard Sabovic (caution), 90+2’
Lineups
STL: GK Ben Lundt; D Jannes Horn (Timo Baumgartl, 85’), D Joakim Nilsson (Akil Watts, 61’), D Henry Kessler, D Josh Yaro, D Kyle Hiebert; M Alfredo Morales (Tomáš Ostrák, 68’), M Chris Durkin (Célio Pompeu, 61’), M Conrad Wallem, M Marcel Hartel ©; F Simon Becher (João Klauss, 68’)
Substitutes not used: GK Christian Olivares, D Michael Wentzel, D Joey Zalinsky
TOTAL SHOTS: 16; SHOTS ON GOAL: 3; FOULS: 11; OFFSIDES: 1; CORNER KICKS: 8; SAVES: 1
ATX: GK Brad Stuver; D Guilherme Biro, D Brendan Hines-Ike ©, D Oleksandr Svatok, (Julio Cascante, 80’) D Jon Gallagher; M Myrto Uzuni (Diego Rubio, 90’), M Dani Pereira (Jader Obrian, 80’), M Besard Sabovic, M Osman Bukari (Ilie Sanchez, 66’); F Brandon Vasquez, F Owen Wolff
Substitutes not used: GK Stefan Cleveland, D Zan Kolmanic, D Riley Thomas, M Nicolas Dubersarsky, F CJ Fodrey
TOTAL SHOTS: 8, SHOTS ON GOAL: 2; FOULS: 14; OFFSIDES: 3; CORNER KICKS: 3; SAVES: 3
Referee: Sergii Boiko
Assistant Referees: Walt Heatherly, Mike Nickerson, Lorenzo Hernandez
VAR: Shawn Tehini
AVAR: Tom Supple
Venue: Energizer Park
Weather: Windy, 72 degrees
Postgame Audio: Recording
Postgame Video: Footage (Passcode: Y7ZdmN5+)
Head Coach Olof Mellberg
On the goal they scored, a defensive lapse there on that?
Yeah. Yeah, I think we could have had a free kick the moment before. I think it pushed Conrad [Wallem] a little bit in the back. Gave them the goal kick.
The referee had four, five, really strange decisions in the first half, I thought, which brought them back into the game a little bit. I thought we started the game really well. And those decisions, I don’t know, I have to look at them, but they looked really strange. Brought them back into the game a little bit. Gave them initiative and a little bit more possession.
For the goal, they made a move exactly like we knew they would, and we didn’t do what we agreed upon, so, disappointing.
That’s not the first time you said that; “we knew they were going to do that and we didn’t stop it.” Is that concerning to you?
I don’t know. I mean, I think they had one more chance in the whole game. So obviously we are doing a lot of things right. I think we overall dominated this game and probably deserved the win, but always disappointed when they do something that we know about. Obviously, we have to have respect for them, as well. They are good players, and they have good players up front. So, it was a quality move from them. But we should have done better.
Is there enough attack in this team?
In our team?
In your team, yes.
I mean, I thought today as a team, we created enough chances. We had a lot of entries in the final third. I thought our positioning was really good. Our game plan was good. Things were working really well.
We just lacked the quality in the final third. I think you could see that; the amount of entries we have, and half-chances and chances, you know, we hope to score at least a goal, obviously.
Your squad touched the ball 30 times in the opponent’s penalty area. Only two shots on goal from those 30 touches. Do you think your team needs to maybe take more quality shots when you have the opportunity to?
Yeah, I didn’t know about that. Exactly as I said before, we had a lot of entries in the final third, a lot of good positioning, I thought, in wide areas, as well. A lot of good possibilities for crosses. And yeah, in the box, as well. Those are a lot of touches in the opponent’s box.
So obviously, we would have hoped to score at least a goal today.
And then you start five natural center backs on the back line with Hiebert and Horn as the wingbacks, do you think that in an alternate universe, if you could go back, would you put more offensive players, like Pompeu, up front and start them maybe?
Yeah, definitely. Those are decisions we make. Again, I thought our game plan was good. We started the game really well, and we had them under control. Again, we gave them — or they had a little bit of initiative in the first half. But we created enough score; we had a lot of entries in the final third, and they barely have any chances in the game. They have two chances, and they score on one.
So, you know, if we can play more games like that with more quality in the final third, we’ll get three points in the future, I think.
Talking about Célio but after the subs came on, both subs seemed to have a positive impact on the game. Was the intensity they were bringing or was there something in their game that mixed the game up and threw it on its head a bit?
Yeah, it was during the break, as well, we got to talk more, you know, especially with them and their role. I think the game looked like at the moment suited Akil, Célio, Tomáš really well, and I thought they did really well, both their energy and the quality. We had injuries to three players that were unexpected. So, we had to be very fast in the decision-making with Chris, Alfredo, Jannes.
So, we had to change around a little bit in our plan. But you know, looking at the last 15, 20 minutes, it looked really good. We were putting them under a lot of pressure and had a lot of situations in the box.
Was that the talk coming out of the rain delay? Because before the rain delay, you had pressure and seemed like a chance was mounting, and the delay happens and you come out and have to stay aggressive and stay motivated. Was that the talking point?
Yeah, it was a little bit disappointing with the break because I thought we had good momentum. But we brought that to after the break, as well. So, yeah, disappointing not to get a goal today.
What do you think of Célio Pompeu game, and how do you think he can help the team?
Yeah, I thought he did well. He’s had a good couple of weeks in training, as well. Obviously, he was out for a long, long time. So, you know, he’s still building on everything, fitness-wise, especially.
But I thought he did well. And he’s a player that is good technically and good 1v1. I thought he gave us that together with Conrad, good combinations on the left-hand side, Célio joining in there as well.
Yeah, I thought we had some good combinations on the left-hand side after he came on.
Considering the dominance in possession but lack of goals, what tactical adjustments do you think St. Louis CITY would do to enhance the offensive effectiveness?
We have to look at that. You know, that is obviously my responsibility, the tactical approach and the game plan, that, again, as I said, looking at the stats and looking at the game, also, from my point of view overall, it looked good from a defending point of view and an attacking point of view. We had enough chances to score, and especially entries in the final third.
I mean, if we can continue with that, you can really work on the quality there and how we can improve our movement in the final third on the crosses, on the cut-backs, and yeah, all those details.
Obviously, it didn’t happen all that long ago. Any word on Jannes’s situation?
I don’t know. I just hope it was a cramp. But yeah, we’ll have to see. We don’t know yet.
And when you brought in Timo, was the plan for him to play as far forward?
Yeah, it was. We wanted to bring more physique in the box. I didn’t think we managed to put enough balls in the box to get the most out of him and Klauss there. But yeah, that was the purpose, to get more physique and another player for the crosses and the longer ball.
Seemed like the last 20 minutes or so provided a good blueprint of what kind of could work.
Overall, I’m guessing — I don’t know yet, but I’m guessing there are quite a lot of positives to take from this game.
From a playing point of view, we continued to defend very well and conceded very little in this game and had a lot of good moments going forward.
But obviously, again, we really need to work on that quality in the final third.
Midfielder Tomáš Ostrák
On how the team performed after the rain delay:
I mean, it felt good. We’ve been good on the ball. We said in the locker room that we have to just step up and just be more confident and we have nothing to lose, and we have to push, you know? And yeah, I think we should score at least one goal. But yeah, we have to be more creative. We have to be more confident and just believe in ourselves that we can score the goal.
On how he feels since his injury:
I feel very good. Finally, after this, after the injury, I think it’s my second game when I jump in, and I forget. I mean, yeah, I try my best. I try to create some chances. I try to create, you know, some in the good pocket, you know, like with the ball, dribble and create some, some good options for the guys. I think I did, and just we didn’t score, and we have to just, yeah, focus in training and try do it better.
On what the team needs to do to perform better moving forward:
As I said, we need to be more confident for sure on the ball. I mean, we have the quality guys that we can play, and I think everybody, everybody can do it, and it’s just about, you know, take the responsibility for everyone and just give it on the pitch. And don’t hide and just do it, you know. That’s, I think, the most important for me.
Forward Simon Becher
On what the team has to do to score goals:
I think, you know, going forward, we just have to continue to put the ball in dangerous chances. I think in the second half we were on the front foot a bit more. In the first half, we struggled getting the ball in dangerous areas. And again, in a game that we didn’t concede much, I think it’s about taking more risks further up the field, having the personnel and, yeah, trying to get the ball into dangerous areas, I don’t think we really generated much today. They hit us on a bit of a counter on one of their two chances. So other than that, they weren’t really dangerous. I think when we have control of the match, I think we can take a little bit more risk and, you know, try to create a few more chances.
On not having a lot of goal scorers on the field:
Yeah. I mean, I think that’s part of it. I think we are trying to continue to find the right combination of people and the right combination of numbers going forward and to continue to generate chances. I don’t think tonight we generated enough. I think last week again, we didn’t really score. So, yeah, I think, you know, it’s something we have to look at and continue to work on.
On how he feels physically after being everywhere on the heat map and playing 69 minutes:
I think in the match, you know, the game plan was keeping me central, and they’re running behind a lot, and their back line dropped off a lot, which is, I think, why we saw a lot of ball in the first half. And, you know, for them being a little bit more passive, like I mentioned earlier, we have to begin to take more risks, and find a way to break down a lower block, which is something we haven’t necessarily had to do so far this year. So, I think it was a different challenge for us. In the second half, we were on the front foot, played a lot of the game in their half. It’s something we haven’t had to do. So, I think continuing to work on that, and continuing to improve.
