After recording 18 shots in the season opener against Colorado, head coach Olof Mellberg was quick to praise his team while adding that they still need to work on the small details in their game before traveling to San Diego. Those details include finishing, which the gaffer said has been among the topics of focus during a good week of training. “It’s nice to work in detail like that,” he said. “When you feel like a lot of things were working well in our attack. So improving the details and hopefully we an create more chances and be a little bit sharper in front of goal.”
As the club heads west for their first road test of the season, its’ leaders have been firm in their desire to put 2024 in the rearview. “I don’t want to look back too much on last season and I don’t think the players will want to either,” Mellberg told reporters on Thursday. “It was quite a long time ago and we take each game as it comes; with a good game plan and the same energy as we had in the last game and hopefully we can win on Saturday.
Captain Roman Bürki also downplayed the away record from last season, saying that the struggles may have been self inflicted in some ways. “I think we made too big a deal of playing away,” he said. “I expect to win. I think we shouldn’t make too big of a deal of it just because it’s an away game. It’s a soccer game. I think we are professional enough to push other things away and just focus on the game and be able to win away games”.
The team will be without both Rasmus Alm and Joakim Nilsson who continue to recover from injuries suffered late in the preseason. The club should get a boost, however, in the return of Chris Durkin who is expected to at least be named on the bench as a part of Mellberg’s side on Saturday night in San Diego. There could be some other shake ups in that squad as well as Mellberg is keeping his game plan close to his chest. “I don’t necessarily feel that just because we have a good game or if we win that we have to keep the exact eleven,” he said. “We also have a big squad with players coming back form injuries so we have quite a few choices in various positions. I haven’t decided yet on an eleven and there is good competition for starting places.”
Those starting places will undoubtedly include the striker position as Simon Becher, João Klauss and Cedric Teuchert compete for starting spots. Teuchert comes back into the fold after acquiring his green card and could be on the verge of pushing Klauss out of the line up after the Brazilian registered only 34 touches against Colorado. Akil Watts is looking to keep is spot in the midfield despite the return of Durkin. Watts had a bright preseason and has enjoyed some more offensive minded play as a result of Mellberg’s new system. “I think the formation that we play helps some players be even more brave when it comes to going up front with the ball,” Bürki said. While the keeper may have been referring to some of his center backs who have also made treks forward during long phases of possession; Watts has also benefited in a similar way.
Who makes the XI?
I think the squad stays largely the same. The only adjustments I’m making are moving Jannes Horn to the left center back role while Conrad Wallem slides in as left wing back. I’m also feeling Teuchert slides into the XI for this one with a week of training under his belt and I’m sticking with Becher over Klauss after Becher was the more dangerous of the two in the opening game against Colorado.
I think Durkin and Morales come in off the bench as substitutes to refresh the midfield in the second half. I am torn over using Célio Pompeu as depth at striker or at wingback but I think he sees minutes either way.
Moving Kyle Hiebert to the bench wasn’t an easy decision. He played well against the Rapids but I feel like Horn or even Baumgartl here could be a more solid defensive back line against what I expect to be a trio of San Diego attackers.
Speaking of San Diego
The new kids on the block are set to welcome our Boys in Red to Snapdragon Stadium for their inaugural home opener. At least 145 St. Louis supporters have made the trip out west according to sources within the registered supporter groups. But what do we know about San Diego FC?
They made a splash right out of the gate, signing Hirving “Chucky” Lozano from PSV for a reported $12M. He’s joined by Andres Dryer, who signed from R.S.C. Anderlecht as the clubs’ second DP. The rest of the roster is sprinkled with some familiar names such as Luca de la Torre, Jasper Loffelsend, and Paddy McNair while others may not be as familiar like Marcus Ingvartsen and Onni Valakari. Spending nearly $17M between their two DPs paid off for the expansion side as Dryer netted both San Diego goals in their 2-0 win over Los Angeles Galaxy last weekend.
We’ve only had one game to see what San Diego looks like systematically, so while I can’t draw certainties about what they will do tactically, I think it is likely they line up in a 4-3-3. They seem to be a side that focuses on controlling the central part of the pitch, which could favor St. Louis as we really like to use width in Mellberg’s 3-4-1-2 system. Based on the field control graphic from mlsstat on X, the only places the Galaxy found space against San Diego was the flanks and in their own defensive half.
Additionally, San Diego appears to also favor using width in the attack. In their opener, they only had 13% of their passes in the final 1/3 within the middle section of the pitch. As for progression into the final 1/3, that was heavily dictated by de la Torre and Aníbal Godoy with the latter responsible for the second highest total distance in progressive passing in the opener for the expansion side. The defensive structure for St. Louis will be called into action with another strong performance needed away from home if City wants to claim all three points.
Prediction
My last prediction went so well, I’m just going to go with it again. I’m going with City to spoil San Diego’s opener with a 2-1 victory. I think the new structure of Mellberg has brought to St. Louis will yield results and that this team is mentally stronger than last season as well. I have a feeling that St. Louis can find a way to take advantage of the width on the pitch through Totland and Wallem, I also think the players will take Bürki’s message to heart and not think too much about the venue and push for the result. I think the hosts get the opener but I have a feeling City will show some grit to equalize early in the second half before picking up a late winner.
City kicks off action against San Diego FC at Snapdragon Stadium, Saturday night at 9:30 p.m. CT.
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.
