Good and Happy #MLSMondays morning to you all! Legend says St. Patrick drove the snakes from Ireland, just as Olof Mellberg has banished the opposition from scoring goals. Let’s talk #AllForCITY. @stlCITYsc 1 - 0 @SoundersFC #STLvSEA Team Selection: A lineup without Bürki is intimidating. Especially considering the threat Seattle poses in attack (luckily for us, injuries have significantly impacted that threat), playing a backup goalkeeper is less than ideal, but we need to discuss it. Ben Lundt - Discussing backup goalkeepers is difficult, and comparing them is even tougher since, by their job description, they don’t play. Is Ben Lundt the best backup in MLS? Probably not. Is he the worst? Likely not either. I also have no idea where he ranks from 1 to 30 among backups. However, we know a few things from our experiences with Ben. He’s very tall. He’s played approximately 4.7 games worth of minutes and conceded 4.3 goals worse than expected. And, he can’t pass. That's important. Thirty-seven goalkeepers have played in MLS in 2025. Per100 is a metric that measures passes completed over or under expected. A positive number means completing more passes than expected, while a negative score indicates fewer. Ben Lundt ranks 37th, or last, in Per100, with -7.20 passes completed fewer than expected. His passing score, another metric that measures expected passes, sits at -2.06, also ranking last in MLS. Roman Bürki is a major part of how CITY progresses. Among goalkeepers, he ranks second in touch percentage, which represents the player’s share of the team’s total number of touches. Roman accounts for 8% of CITY’s total touches. In contrast to Ben’s -7.2 Per100 passes, Roman is at +0.01, or passing as expected. Discussing goalkeeper passing can be rather dull, but it’s also pretty important, especially on Saturday night. Ben had the 4th-highest average distance per completed pass and the 5th-highest average vertical distance, both exceeding Roman’s averages. This means Ben was kicking it longer than Roman, on average. And when Cedric Teuchert is the center forward, that matters… The other major team selection talking point, no Klauss, no Becher. Cedric Teuchert - In 10 games in 2024, Teuchert’s lowest raw g+ score was +0.01. Against Seattle, he recorded his first net-negative performance (-0.06). This was also the first time Teuchert played for CITY without another attacking presence, whether it was Þórisson, Klauss, or Becher, and I don’t believe that’s a coincidence. With Lundt’s kicking, the ball was often aimed at Teuchert, attempting to fulfill the standard center forward role of shielding defenders, winning duels, and laying off to teammates. This is not a role in which he excels, and he did not perform well in it against Seattle. Physically, he lacks standout traits in height, size, or speed, especially compared to the brutes who typically occupy that position for CITY, like Klauss and Becher. Teuchert has played 14 games for CITY, starting 13 of them. He has generated xG in 11 out of 14 matches. The three games with 0 xG? Minnesota in the season finale of 2024, where there was nothing to play for. San Diego, where he was not fit and was substituted at halftime, and CITY struggled offensively, and Seattle. He recorded the second-fewest touches (15) of his CITY career (the other being San Diego). He completed 0 key passes, made 0 passes into the penalty area, and created 0 xA. This has occurred once before (against San Diego). Additionally, he had just 1 touch in the penalty area. Cedric Teuchert is one of the best space-finders in MLS. He thrives when defenders focus on or mark someone else, allowing him to exploit that empty space. When playing as a CF, you are the player the defense is targeting, locating, and pointing at. The chart above shows his MLS minutes, demonstrating that he is an elite attacker. However, he did none of that on Saturday in a game where CITY generated a healthy xG (1.3) and didn’t play an attacking profile that suited him. The debate over whether Klauss or Becher should start at center forward will likely continue, but there’s a reason why Teuchert isn't included in that discussion, and I believe Saturday night showed precisely why. Individuals: Eduard Löwen: This guy takes free kicks exceptionally well. I don’t think we’ve seen Edu’s best performance so far in 2025, and his second-lowest g+ of the evening doesn’t suggest a great night, but who cares? He scored an absolute banger. Stepping away from the usual analytics for a moment, Eduard Löwen should be this City’s favorite athlete right now. In the face of challenging personal struggles, he’s among the nicest, most approachable individuals in professional sports. He always makes time to chat with fans, engage with kids, and understands he’s more than just a soccer player. Löwen #10 should be on everyone’s back when they enter that stadium, yet he often gets overlooked. Not only is he one of the nicest people, but he’s also among the better players in the league. A New Year’s Resolution on St. Patrick’s Day, if you will: Let’s not forget about the Lion. Chris Durkin delivered possibly the most composed and well-disciplined performance we’ve seen from him, leading the g+ with a score of 0.32 to reflect it. Without diving too deeply into tactical details, Albert Rusnák, Seattle’s creative playmaker, was mostly kept in check, particularly during the first half. He positioned himself between CITY’s midfield and defensive lines, looking to receive the ball, turn, and play passes behind the defense. From the best North/South viewpoint, you could see how CITY attempted to deny that lane to Rusnák, starting with Durkin. Löwen and Watts would flow to the ball on their respective sides, and Durkin would drift over to assist, but without overcommitting and applying unnecessary pressure as we’ve seen too often. Instead, he would hold his position and wait, providing enough space to help if needed, but not so much that he opened a passing lane for Rusnák. If that lane did happen to open, Kessler, who we'll discuss shortly, was always alert, ready to cover Rusnák from behind. Historically, CITY has shown little nuance in its defensive strategy. The approach was frustratingly simple: pressure them until they make a mistake. If they didn’t make a mistake, we often conceded goals. Chris Durkin epitomized this in 2024. When we pressed well, it was probably Durkin leading the charge. When the press failed, and we conceded? Most likely, it was Durkin's fault. If Chris can consistently play this more disciplined style in midfield—which, as we'll discuss in the upcoming piece on pressing in the next couple of weeks, includes taking the lead in the press—this team will be much tougher to score against, and so far, no one has managed to do it yet. Akil Watts - Not going to spend too much time being negative, but Watts’ passing on Saturday was not a sight to behold. 0/2 on crosses, 0/3 on long balls, and remember those passing metrics with Lundt? Watts Per 100 was -13.39, and his passing score was -3.08, both worst on the night for CITY. Henry Kessler - I feel for Henry. If the USMNT had the same depth of talent it did 10 or 15 years ago, Henry Kessler would likely be playing for the national team based on these performances. He made 20 defensive actions, went 8 for 12 in duels, drew 3 fouls, and was perfect in dribbles and long balls, along with his usual 94% passing accuracy. His g+ is generally good, but it suffers compared to the averages because he’s not asked to do much with the ball aside from relocating it side to side. I don’t know if you recall that perfectly weighted long ball to Totland behind Seattle’s defense, but it was absolutely spot on; we need to see more of that. Overall Through four games, CITY has a positive xGD of 1.6. CITY is the only team in MLS that has yet to concede a goal. CITY is tied for second place in the Western Conference with 8 points, having played against the two other teams also tied at 8 points. In the past two seasons, CITY played counterattacking soccer, conceding more xG than they created and allowing more goals than they scored. In 2025, CITY is counterattacking, creating more xG than they concede and scoring more goals than they allow. Titles aren’t won in March, but fanbases can be, and Olof is currently winning both on and off the pitch. Thanks for reading! Next up? Revenge. #AllForCITY, forever and always.

Happiest of Tuesdays on this #MLSMondays! Here’s what was bad on Sunday - Clocks sprung forward, and for some reason, we continue to subscribe to this scenario in which we hate sunlight for four months. Here’s what was good on Sunday - CITY went to the reigning champions, scored a bunch, and didn’t concede. Very nice. Let’s break it down. @LAGalaxy 0 - 3 @stlCITYsc. #LAGvSTL Note: There are some trends that I really want to talk about, like how CITY is pressing, but I’m holding off until we reach MD5 and the data begins to more accurately reflect what’s happening. Team Selection: Olof continued his trend of two substitutions: Klauss and Durkin replaced Becher and Watts. Hopefully, this trend continues. Often, we dream about the “Best XI,” but in reality, you need a Best 18 or Best 20 to compete for titles. This necessitates squad rotation, which we need to see more of in St. Louis. Considering Nilsson's health, or lack thereof, this is likely CITY’s Best XI. Strangely, I’d prefer not to see this XI too often, instead hoping 1-2 players are consistently rotated out to provide rotation players with meaningful playing time and give rest to the others. Back to Sunday, this was the attacking partnership that *most* people desire: Klauss, the space creator, and Teuchert, the space exploiter. When Klauss is on the pitch in 2025, CITY generates 3.71 xG. When he is not on the pitch, CITY generates only 0.34 xG. That’s the textbook definition of a small sample size, but it’s a noteworthy sample and will become a trend if it continues. As for Durkin/Watts, Durkin seemed like a player who was well short of match fitness, posting the only negative g+ for CITY. I don’t think Olof has decided who he prefers for the 6-role (and I haven’t either). We can make a more accurate comparison when Durkin can run like we're accustomed to. (I’m choosing to not talk about the second-half subs here, that will come later this week.) Individuals: Roman Bürki. MLS leader in clean sheets after three games. Reus’ shot in the 24th minute had a PSxG of 0.79 (a 21% chance that the goalkeeper saves it), making it the second-highest of the match. The first, third, and fourth highest? Goals. It was an excellent performance. Cherish him. Marcel Hartel. He has tallied 15 shot-creating actions in 3 games. That ties him for 5th in MLS, which includes a game against San Diego, where CITY had 1 SCA. He’s not your typical “playmaking-10," like David Silva, Christian Eriksen, Riqui Puig, and others, who sit deeper and carve through a defense with through balls and perfectly weighted lobs. He’s also not the type like Thomas Müller, Dele Alli, or Cedric Teuchert, who float into spaces, looking for soft spots to score goals.He’s both and neither at the same time. He flicks the ball to teammates, runs onto the end of passes, and creates scoring opportunities. He plays like Marcel Hartel. Here’s his 1000+ minute MLS chart now: João Klauss. I posted midgame that “João Klauss has been so good it’s laughable.” I wasn’t joking. Nothing about his stat page stands out—1 SCA, 0.1 xG, 1 Progressive Pass, and 1 Progressive Carry. Even his g+ was low at 0.08.But go back and watch that Teuchert miss at 22 minutes. How does he find himself in space, running at the goalkeeper?Klauss wins the second ball right at the sideline, holds off, then rolls Yoshida, and immediately plays Hartel, who finds Teuchert. When Klauss gets to the ball, three opponents converge on him, and he is restricted by the sideline. And after he plays it? He sprints to the penalty spot with an option to pass if Teuchert wants it.That is Klauss’ game in a nutshell. He wins the ball, draws opponents toward him, creates space for his teammates, and works incredibly hard. Cedric Teuchert. Teuchert is currently averaging 1.14 goals plus assists per 90 minutes in MLS. Denis Bouanga averages 0.84, while Christian Benteke averages 0.71. These are the last two Golden Boot winners in MLS. “CITY needs a DP striker who scores goals." I disagree; CITY has a TAM attacking midfielder who does precisely that. Henry Kessler. Player of the season. g+ ranks him as the 7th-highest-rated interrupter in MLS this season, regardless of position, and I still believe it’s not his best role. If Nilsson can ever stay healthy, or if Baumgartl can perform like he did years ago, we might see Kessler fully unleashed. Until then, though, enjoy one of the best defenders in MLS. Kyle Hiebert. Saved the best for last, huh. Kessler might be the 7th-highest-rated interrupter in MLS, but Kyle Hiebert is the 3rd highest. If you believe Kyle Hiebert is very bad, you are wrong. If you believe Kyle Hiebert is really good, you, too, are wrong. In 2023, Hiebert posted a -0.76 g+ above average and followed that up with a -2.08 g+ in 2024. That’s bad and really bad. In 2025, he’s posted a 0.56 g+. That’s good. Hiebert is a strong box defender who leverages his physical attributes to make the most of his average height and speed. However, he is technically limited. His passing metrics have been well below average (-0.48 in ‘23, -0.23 in ‘24), along with negative dribbling metrics. CITY struggles whenever Hiebert needs to progress the ball, which is necessary in this system as a wide center back. As a professional athlete, Hiebert certainly did not reach this level because he stinks. He made an excellent, perfectly weighted pass to Becher for the third goal, just as he also made a poor decision earlier, losing the ball at a dangerous moment. (The dark red). Both statements are true and do not contradict each other. We examine trends and statistics over time to create an accurate picture of what a player can and cannot do, meaning that single-game events should rarely be used to define a player. Hiebert had a good game and an excellent assist for Becher. Carl Gunnarsson had a career-defining shot in 2019. That didn’t make him a good goal-scorer. Overall CITY traveled to face the reigning champions and left with 3 goals and 3 points. LAG is plagued by injuries, which doesn’t change how STL should feel about our boys in pink. 29 teams have conceded goals in MLS in 2025. St. Louis has not. 22 teams have lost in MLS in 2025. St. Louis has not. St. Louis had 1 road victory in 2024. St. Louis already has 1 road victory in 2025. Is it the most entertaining soccer you’ve ever watched? No. Is losing entertaining? No. CITY isn’t the best team in MLS, but we are much closer to being the best in 2025 than we were in 2024, and that should make you happy. Winning should make you happy. It makes me happy. Thanks for reading! Hopefully, I’ll catch you at Energizer Park this weekend! #AllForCITY, forever and always.