ST. LOUIS - St. Louis City SC heads back to the west coast Sunday in search of their first win. They’ll be welcomed by an LA Galaxy team with similar aspirations.
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Neither team has won in MLS this season and neither team looked that dangerous offensively last week. City’s rock-solid defense has given the team a foundation to build on, where the Galaxy are struggling on both sides of the ball.
It’s been a rocky start for the defending MLS Cup champs. They started the 2025 MLS campaign with a 2-0 loss to the San Diego FC team that City drew 0-0 with last week. The Galaxy followed that performance up with a 2-1 loss in Vancouver.
Some may have predicted a rough start to the year for the defending champs, who are without two of their biggest talents and playmakers in Riqui Puig and Joseph Paintsil. The absence of both has forced Gabriel Pec to play deeper in LA’s midfield to try to create offense.
Marco Reus, the German and Borussia Dortmund legend who arrived in LA last year, has not looked quite so legendary in his playing time this season. If the Galaxy are going to succeed without Riqui Puig and Joseph Paintsil, Reus has to be the straw that stirs the drink.
On Sunday, LA looks to avoid making the wrong kind of MLS history. With a loss, they would be the first reigning MLS Cup champions to lose their first three games in the following season.
Their troubles aren’t limited to MLS play either. Even in the CONCACAF Champions Cup play, the Galaxy fell 1-0 in Costa Rica to Club Sport Herediano, which was a big upset even if the Galaxy was far from home.
With an important second leg coming up against Herediano in LA this coming Wednesday, it would be understandable if the Galaxy rotated their roster Sunday facing St. Louis. City head coach Olof Mellberg doesn’t count on facing backups.
“I’m not sure how they’re going to play, formation-wise and personnel,” said Mellberg in Friday afternoon’s pre-match press conference. “They’re also looking for their first win, I think it’s a really important game for them as well.”
For Mellberg’s City squad, they’ll look to build off solid defensive performances and figure out the offense, in that order. The head coach preached finding “clarity” in the build up, and not forcing bad passes that turn into turnovers.
“Clarity in the build-up, so [City players] are clear on what options they have,” Mellberg explained. “Both in our direct attacking game and our possession game. Hopefully we’ve helped them this week to improve their quality on the ball. It wasn’t good enough last week.”
A central cog in the City setup has always been Eduard Löwen, and when Edu is on, City are on as well. City’s midfield maestro hasn’t been as ever-present in the first two weeks of the Olof Mellberg era.
“That’s one thing we’re looking at, how can we get the most out of [Löwen],” said Mellberg. “How can we put players in the right positions in the build-up, but also not be predictable. We know we’re strong in the longer game, or have been previously.”
“We weren’t so strong in the last game, but we’re usually [running] behind opponents so we don’t become predictable. Edu [Löwen] is one of the players who’s good on the ball and we’re going to make use of that.”
In two MLS games under Olof Mellberg, Löwen has played 60 minutes and been substituted for Alfredo Morales in both games. Matt Baker from the Flyover Footy broadcast asked if there was a reason that the ever-present Edu Löwen was being subbed off early.
“He has improved a lot this season compared to last season with his data,” elaborated Olof Mellberg. “We’ve been talking to him about having a higher intensity, playing more often in fourth or fifth gear rather than second or third.
“He’s done really well in preseason, and we’re looking at the physical data after the game. He does a lot more, compared to last season. It’s been a choice to not see him drop to second or third gear for the end of games, rather than him not doing well enough. It’s a part of our game, we want to play with high intensity, we want to have fresh legs all the time and we have good alternatives in those positions.”
Over the past two seasons, City are undefeated against the LA Galaxy, winning once and drawing three times. Marcel Hartel and Cedric Teuchert scored in last year’s home win, and both will look to open their 2025 account Sunday.
City and LA get the spotlight of MLS and Apple TV’s new Sunday Night Soccer time slot, with kickoff just after 6 p.m. Central time on MLS Season Pass. Local radio broadcasts are available on KYKY Y98.1 FM in English and KXOK 102.9 FM Spanish.
Quick Notes
This weekend also marks the opening of the MLS NEXT Pro and the CITY2 season. New CITY2 head coach David Critchley takes the team to Arlington to face North Texas SC.
City and CITY2 won’t be the only soccer in Downtown West this summer, as it was announced the US Women’s National Team will be returning to Energizer Park on June 3 to host China, who they famously beat in the 1996 Olympics and the 1999 Women’s World Cup.
US legend and St. Louisian Becky Sauerbrunn will be honored pregame with a ceremony celebrating her career. Sauerbrunn retired from the game last December.
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