St. Louis CITY SC are building momentum at the right time, and their 2-0 comeback win over Sporting Kansas City last Thursday was the clearest sign yet that this run is about more than one result. Eduard Löwen’s 86th-minute penalty settled a match that had looked set to slip away after a 76th-minute equalizer, and it pushed CITY to a six-match unbeaten run.
For a team that had spent over the past two seasons dropping points from winning positions, this was a different kind of finish. St. Louis CITY SC had led 2-0, allowed Sporting Kansas City back into the game, and still found a way to win it. That is why the result matters so much in the broader MLS schedule picture: it is not just three points, it is evidence of a side starting to believe it can close games out when the pressure rises.
Hartel: “We go for the win”
Marcel Hartel said the performance reflected a shift in mentality. He said it showed the team’s determination to keep going, rather than settling once the game turned difficult.
“It showed the mentality of this team that we keep going. We don’t fall out and say, ‘Let’s try to keep the tie,’” Hartel said. “We go for the win.”
That matters because the biggest criticism of St. Louis CITY SC in recent seasons has been their inability to protect leads. Last Thursday was not flawless, but it was decisive. The equalizer could have shaken them. Instead, they stayed aggressive, kept believing, and earned the penalty that Löwen converted.
Damet sees a group growing in confidence
Yoann Damet was just as clear about the message he wants his players to take from the win. For him, the key point was not only the scoreline, but the way the group responded when the match became messy.
“I like the mindset and mentality of the group,” Damet said. “We don’t get the penalty if we don’t believe that we can win the game, and that’s the most important thing. Whoever is going to make mistakes—and there are always a ton of mistakes happening in those games—the team is going to be there to make up for it.”
Damet also stressed that the process remains the biggest focus, and that he believes the squad is improving both individually and collectively. That is consistent with the recent signs around the club: the winter arrivals of starters Dante Polvara and Daniel Edelman for more than $1 million, the addition of free agent Alexandru Máțan, and the possibility of another move for Carlo Holse. Taken together, it points to a squad that looks stronger and more settled than it did earlier in 2025.
Löwen’s finish could define the next stretch
Löwen’s own view was simple. The win brought confidence, and the next target is to keep the pressure on the teams above them rather than wait until the end of the season.
“It gives us a lot of confidence,” he said. “Now, we want to go for the next win and the next win. We want to get as close as possible and as soon as possible to the playoff spot and not be chasing that spot at the end of the season.”
That is where this result becomes important in the bigger picture. St. Louis CITY SC are now unbeaten in their last six matches and, for the first time since April 2025, they are on the verge of a playoff spot. The next few fixtures will say plenty about whether this is a strong run or the start of something bigger, with the Los Angeles Galaxy and the Colorado Rapids waiting in the schedule.
Tomas Totland added that the squad is feeling better after working hard through the break, and that sense of momentum is beginning to show. For CITY, the challenge now is simple: keep that mentality, keep taking points, and make sure the MLS schedule keeps working in their favour.
