Pre-match Preview: A crucial I-70 Derby for CITY SC

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (Matrix Midwest) - St. Louis CITY SC will host Sporting Kansas City this week at Energizer Park for the second round of the I-70 Derby.

St. Louis fell 2-1 to San Diego FC last Saturday in the second meeting between the two sides.

After a promising first half, San Diego scored two goals off turnovers in CITY’s own half of the pitch to take a 2-0 lead late in the match. CITY eventually capitalized on a free kick in added time to decrease the deficit, but it was too late.

In its last eight matches, dating back to mid-March, CITY has collected just two points.

“It was frustrating to concede, especially when we were creating chances and momentum, and I think giving up the second kind of killed us,” defender Kyle Hiebert said after the match.

St. Louis finished with 15 shots, five on goal, and a 40 percent possession.

The I-70 Derby Rematch

CITY SC will have a quick turnaround from a three-match week to hosting the second leg of the I-70 Derby against Sporting KC this Wednesday.

St. Louis is now 2-6-4 and holds the No. 13 spot in the Western Conference, tied with Sporting KC (3-8-1) and one other club with 10 points. Kansas City enters Wednesday after falling 1-0 to the Portland Timbers.

In the last meeting between these two, KC won 2-0 at Children’s Mercy Park. It marked CITY’s third loss of the year and added fuel to what would become a dreadful eight-match winless streak.

Going into the last derby, Sporting KC had not won a game in MLS play, collecting just one point through its first six. Since defeating St. Louis, Sporting has won twice in five matches, and scored nearly double the number of goals it had tallied before facing its I-70 rival.

The “Wizards” like to switch between a 4-1-4-1 and a 4-3-3, with striker Dejan Joveljić at the head of the attack and midfielder Dániel Sallói on the wing. Joveljić scored both goals in the early-April victory over St. Louis and has recorded a total of five, plus an assist, thus far. It was the only match this year that saw him find the back of the net more than once.

“There will probably be a couple of changes. But we’ve had a good look. And, feel confident in the game plan and in the guys we’re going to put on the pitch tomorrow,” Coach Olof Mellberg said when asked what he learned from the last derby match. “I think everybody’s looking forward to this game and hopefully we get the three points.”

This last match against San Diego continued a positive trend of chance creation that we’ve seen from St. Louis in recent weeks. The problem that has continued to plague CITY for months is the inability to finish. St. Louis has seen a steady rise in xG, especially from individual players, but the goal counter continues to stall.

KC has allowed more goals than about 80 percent of MLS clubs. And if St. Louis wants to remove itself from the small group of teams still beneath the double-digit goal counter, this could be the match to do it.

CITY SC will be playing its fourth match in just under two weeks of play - that’s a lot for a sport like soccer. This portion of the season is probably one of the worst times for this club to be dealing with injuries. And yet, the club continues to find itself having to make decisions regarding its personnel.

Last week, Eduard Löwen was reported out just before kickoff due to personal reasons. Mellberg says he will not return for the Sporting KC match. Per Olof, Chris Durkin is nearing a return, but sustained a “knock in training” on Monday, and Rasmus Alm is training with restrictions.

Tomas Totland, Henry Kessler, Alfredo Morales, and Chris Durkin were unavailable against San Diego. But Mellberg noted in Wednesday’s presser that Kessler, Roman Bürki, and Joakim Nilsson will be available for the upcoming match. And after missing months of time due to foot surgery, Jayden Reid made his first appearance for CITY through a late-game substitution, which added much-needed depth for the backline.

Regardless of who’s out on the pitch to represent St. Louis, this match could be a statement win for CITY. Derby matches carry a different magnitude. One that could ignite a club that has been struggling for much of the year. And, although a loss technically wouldn’t mean the end of the season, it would be the first time St. Louis has failed to defeat its rival during regular play of an MLS season. SKC is 1-5-0 away from Children’s Mercy Park this season, and has never beaten CITY SC in St. Louis.

“We need to go out with 100% energy,” said midfielder Marcel Hartel. “We have to fight in every way to win this game, for the club, for the fans, because it’s time. It’s time to get three points for them.”

Kick-off is set for 7:45 p.m. at Energizer Park.

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