Derbeque, El Tragico, Battle of the Mid, no matter what you choose to call it, tension will be high tonight as St. Louis City SC welcomes Sporting Kansas City to Energizer Park for their final meeting of the 2025 MLS regular season. The visitors bested City 2-0 in Kansas earlier this season and the hosts ride an eight game league winless streak into the rivalry tilt. Meanwhile, Sporting are looking for another bump to boost their turn around after appointing Kerry Zavagnin interim manager six weeks ago. Can St. Louis end the skid? Will it be the end of Olof Mellberg if they do’t? Let’s dive in!
No Mellberg, No Problem?
Perhaps one of the most interesting storylines among fans heading into the clash is how the club will handle the suspension of its’ gaffer. Olof Mellberg confirmed his suspension due to yellow card accumulation on Tuesday. “I’ve been suspended before, a few times. So i think I can handle it,” Mellberg said.”It’s different. I try to make the most of it. You analyze it from a different perspective and it could be good sometimes.” Assistant coach Azrudin Valentić will be on the touchline in Mellberg’s absence; which will mean more careful preparation according to Mellberg. “We need to really go through everything in the detail beforehand,” he said. “Not only the game plan to start with but also the match coaching and different scenarios in the game so that, Vale and the rest of the staff are prepared.” While the former Swedish international won’t be on the sidelines, it seems his impact will certainly be felt as he’ll pass forward the full game plan to his staff, so expectations of seeing a different look should likely be tempered.
City’s Looking to Turn Around Recent Form
St. Louis hasn’t won a league match since March 15th, dropping 22 of a possible 24 points in that span. “It’s concerning,” Mellberg said of the clubs’ run of results in recent months. “We want to make the playoffs, and we’re not there,” he continued. “It’s gonna take really hard work from all of us to turn things around. We have explanations and we have a pretty good idea of the reasons behind us not getting enough points.” The gaffer’s hopes of this changing will certainly be bolstered by the return of several players including captain Roman Bürki. The Swiss shot stopper will be back in goal against SKC, while defenders Henry Kessler and Joakim Nilsson are also expected to be available for selection according to Mellberg.
Midfielder Marcel Hartel, who had the armband for much of Bürki’s absence also spoke on Tuesday, indicating they are less focused on the manager and the tactics they employ. “We don’t have to talk about tactics. We need to go out with one hundred percent energy. 
We have to fight to win this game for the club, for the fans, because at it’s time,” he said. “It’s time to get three points for them, especially for them. They do so much for us, every home game’ their their our 12th man behind us, and it’s time, especially in this game, to give the fans something back.”
Looking to Continue the New Manager BumpÂ
On the other side of the pitch, Sporting Kansas City will be looking to continue the better form they have had following the dismissal of Peter Vermes. Sporting is 3-0-3 in six matches under Zavagnin. It’s not a world beating pace, but its a substantial improvement and topping St. Louis for a second time would give the visitors a boost as they continue to climb up the Western Conference table. The combined play of Dejan Joveljić and Dániel Sallói has fueled the turnaround as the pair has combined for 10 goal contributions on the season.
While their overall form has been better, Sporting hasn’t been very successful on the road, notching a 1-0-5 record away from Children’s Mercy Park. In those contests they have been outscored 11-8 and have a -4.9 difference in expected goals. If City is able to limit the chances created by Sallói and Joveljić and can build on positives in the offensive half in recent weeks, the club may be able to end its’ skid.
Predicted XI and Result
First and foremost, Roman Bürki is back in goal for City in this contest. From there I think it’ll be a similar squad with maybe one or two changes. As much as fans would love to see Kessler back in the starting squad, I have doubts his fitness at a level that starting makes sense. I think he sees time as a substitute. With that in mind I’m rolling out a backline of Jannes Horn, Timo Baumgartl and Josh Yaro. I am moving Wallem back to left wing back and going with a more defensive approach on the right side to combat Sallói with Kyle Hiebert as the right wing back. Akil Watts slots into the central midfield next to Tomáš Ostrák and the front three are Marcel Hartel, Cedric Teuchert and João Klauss.
I’ve gone back and forth on the scoreline. I think there are goals in this contest for both sides. Despite recent form and perhaps better judgement, I am going with a 2-1 victory for City. I think the North End makes a difference and helps push the Boyz in Red to a much needed win over the noisy neighbors from Kansas.
If the result goes the other way, I shutter to think what the park will sound like. I suspect a chorus of boos would rain down on the pitch and it could mean a coaching change. However, with a key fixture in the U.S. Open Cup on the horizon, I don’t know that Lutz Pfannenstiel will be so quick to pull the trigger on relieving Mellberg of his duties. Only time and results will tell.
Taking his passion for soccer and St. Louis to the next level, Jeremy aims to provide analytical coverage of all this St. Louis City SC.
