Simon Becher was ready to feel pain to draw pivotal penalty kick for ӣƵ City SC
City SC forward Simon Becher celebrates during a game against San Jose on Saturday, May 31, 2025, at Energizer Park.
Eli Randolph, Post-Dispatch
In an instant Saturday, Simon Becher had to do some figuring. Was the better scoring chance for him to shoot or get fouled?
In the closing minutes of regulation with the score tied, Becher had beaten his defender going after a long ball from Conrad Wallem. Knowing the defender had slipped, Becher knew he was in alone on the goalkeeper. But San Jose goalkeeper Earl Edwards Jr. had gone out aggressively on the play.
“I would have loved to shoot it,” Becher said Wednesday as City SC started its practice week for Game 2 of the David Critchley era, in Portland on Sunday, “but he came out pretty hard and quick at me and honestly did a good job cutting the angle. So I think for me, the higher-percentage play was going around him, and I knew that he couldn’t really stop his momentum.”
Becher played the ball to his right, to try to go around Edwards, and he probably played it too hard to be able to recover it for a scoring chance. But at the same time, he knew the much more likely scenario was Edwards was going to slam into him for a foul and a penalty kick, which is exactly what he did.
Eduard Lowen fired in the PK for the goal that gave City SC a 2-1 win over San Jose and snapped its 11-game winless streak.
“Obviously, you look for the contact a little bit,” Becher said, “seeing him and you see his momentum. If he would have given me space to shoot, then I would have shot. But seeing how he came out, it’s trying to go around him. And then in the back of your mind, knowing that he’s probably not going to be able to stop as well, so kind of putting your body on the line.
“He just kind of came through me.”
There was no denying the foul as Becher toppled over Edwards. But while Lowen gets credit for the goal, Becher doesn’t get credit for an assist on the play.
“I don’t know how the stat works,” he said, “but winning the game is good enough.”
Missing practice
Forward Xande Silva wasn’t at practice Wednesday. Players had Monday and Tuesday off after a challenging week with the coaching change and with their next game not until Sunday. Silva opted to go to New York for the break but didn’t get back to ӣƵ in time for practice Wednesday.
“He took a two-day break,” interim coach Critchley said. “Obviously got himself in New York, wasn’t returned today, so he’ll know his fine for not being with us today. But at the end of the day, he’ll be back with us (Wednesday night). He’ll get a training session tonight, individually, be back with the team for (Thursday).”
Cedric Teuchert and Chris Durkin, both of whom left the San Jose game early, weren’t on the field, with both working in the gym.
“We’re just kind of monitoring them daily to see how they do,” Critchley said.
Rasmus Alm jogged on his own, while Jannes Horn did the early parts of practice with the team but then jogged on his own for the final, more aggressive parts of practice.
Jay Reid wasn’t on the field so he could play Wednesday with City2. Reid made his first start of the season Saturday.
“Asked him on Sunday if he would want to play with City2 and get some more reps, and he said yes,” Critchley said. “Shows his mentality is he wants to improve every single day and get himself better every single day.”
Red for Wallem
Wallem will miss his first game of the season Sunday as he serves a one-game suspension for getting a red card against San Jose. Wallem got two yellow cards for time wasting in a three-minute span in second-half stoppage time, causing City SC to play the final seconds of the game down a man. Wallem has started all but two games this season: the season opener, when he was a late sub, and the U.S. Open Cup game with Union Omaha, where he came on as a second-half sub.
That leaves Becher as the only player to have appeared in every game this season, covering both the Open Cup and MLS play, and Marcel Hartel as the only other player to have appeared in every MLS game. Josh Yaro, Kyle Hiebert and Akil Watts had all appeared in every game prior to the San Jose game. Yaro and Watts were on the bench but didn’t play, and Hiebert did not make the game-day roster.
It’s the first time an available Hiebert did not suit up for City SC in an MLS game. The games he hasn’t been on the roster were because of international duty, a red card or an injury. He also wasn’t on the roster for City SC’s Open Cup game with Union Omaha in 2023.
Hiebert had missed a couple of days of training last week with some leg pain, and Critchley said that “would probably be the main reason.” But there was another reason: Hiebert became a father.
“Knowing the condition of his family, family comes first,” Critchley said. “We all know that. So with that being in mind, we decided to make the decision for him on Saturday.”
Hiebert was back in practice Wednesday.
Loan arranging
Sparta Rotterdam exercised its purchase option on the loan of Nokkvi Thorisson and completed his transfer to the Dutch squad. The next step for two other loaned-out City SC players, midfielder Njabulo Blom and left back Selmir Pidro, is still being worked out, but it seems unlikely either player would be back with City SC. When the club couldn’t find a home for Pidro last season, he returned to ӣƵ and was loaned to City2 so he he didn’t count toward the main roster.
Horn’s loan to City SC ends June 30, and he’s already been linked to a transfer to another club in Europe.
Piece of cake: US women's team celebrates Sauerbrunn and dominates Jamaica 4-0
Tuesday night was U.S. Soccer’s tribute game for the recently retired Becky Sauerbrunn and Friday is her 40th birthday, so the U.S. women’s team decided to combine the two with a postgame happy birthday and happy retirement cake for Sauerbrunn, presented to her at the TNT broadcast desk at the north end of Energizer Park.
“Big night,” said Naomi Girma, Sauerbrunn’s successor as the anchor of the back line.
There was plenty more to celebrate as the U.S. women dominated Jamaica with a 4-0 win before a crowd of 17,689 at Energizer Park that was emphatic in pretty much every way. Jamaica rarely crossed into U.S. territory, never really threatened to score. If you wanted to quibble, you could say maybe the U.S. should have scored more goals, but that was a small one on this occasion. The U.S. outshot Jamaica 23-2, and neither of Jamaica’s two shots were on goal.
And what better way to salute Sauerbrunn, who was presented with a framed jersey with the number 219 on it, reflecting the number of games she played with the national team, than to post a shutout?
“What a legend, what an icon,” said defender Kerry Abello, who made her first national team appearance in the game. “The game of women’s soccer will never be the same without her, and she’s left an unrivaled footprint. I hope to follow in her footsteps and follow the example that she set.”
“She is someone who doesn’t want to be celebrated but deserves to be celebrated more than anybody,” said Lynn Biyendolo, who scored two goals. “For us to be able to send her off like this, it’s special for her, which in turn makes it special for us.”
Birthday cake aside, the U.S. team, even without many of its top players — this was the second-least experienced U.S. team, in terms of caps, in the past 24 years — saw players make solid cases for themselves. In the international calendar for the women’s game, a year like 2025, a year right after the summer Olympics, is a rebuilding and experimenting time in the sport. The next women’s World Cup isn’t until 2027, the next Olympics in 2028, so it’s a chance for coaches to look at new players and see how they fit into the scheme of things.
On Tuesday, 21-year-old Ally Sentnor scored twice, giving her four goals in seven games this season to show she can be a valuable addition to the team’s scoring depth, and Biyendolo’s two goals off the bench showed that at 32 she’s still a player who can provide a boost in a reserve role. Meanwhile, goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce, who had as easy a night as she’ll likely ever have, not having to make a save, posted her third shutout in as many starts this season and took a step toward being the successor to the retired Alyssa Naeher in goal.
“We talk about these things called ‘Champagne moments’ in our locker room,” said U.S. coach Emma Hayes, “which is no matter the result, you always want to have a moment where you go into every game improving or adding to something. So we really wanted to be ruthless in the final third. I don’t think we started out like that, but I think we ended like that. And I think that’s a work in progress, being able to see everything that we want to see. But I do feel like there is so much more to us than there was 12 months ago, and that’s how you have to look at progress. So see what Ally Sentnor, unbelievable finisher, Lynn Biyendolo, come into a game and close it out like really, really good for us to have both those options.”
The U.S. has an exciting and productive set of forwards in Trinity Rodman, Mallory Swanson and Sophia Wilson, the so-called Triple Espresso, though none of them are in this camp for various reasons. Sentnor, 21, is one of the players giving Hayes depth at that position and the pool of players to turn to when injuries happen. Sentnor has four goals this season, the most on the team. She made her debut with the national team last November; this was her ninth appearance overall and her fourth start.
“That’s what she does,” said Hayes. “She’s got an ability inside the box that you can’t teach. She knows where the back of the net is, and if she gets a chance, she takes it. And not only was she in the right positions to do that, but she executed. And at the highest level, you have to execute your one or two chances that you get, and she does that really, really well. So really good. I’m happy for her because I know she feels that she wants to keep improving her game. She’s always keen to keep adding things. So I think this performance will give her a lot of confidence.”
“I’ve really been working on my positioning this camp,” Sentnor said, “and it definitely paid off being in the right spots tonight. It was really a product of my teammates doing their job and me just being able to tap it in at the end.”
Her first goal came in the 19th minute from about 15 yards out, drilled into the left side of the net off a pass from Emily Fox. The second goal was much closer, after a shot by Alyssa Thompson was deflected and came to Sentnor in close, and she put that one away.
“I just see the goal and I get happy and I get excited,” Sentnor said. “I think sometimes I can play a little bit simpler in the box, maybe get a little bit closer, but I just see the goal and I like to shoot.”
Biyendolo came on in the 57th minute, scored in the 60th, and she’s done it even more quickly at other times.
“She does it time and time again,” Hayes said, “and when you speak to her about it, she will tell you she knows how to do that role really well. I think it’s not to be underestimated.”
Hayes said she gave Tullis-Joyce both starts in this window so she would get experience playing with Girma. She said while Tullis-Joyce is in the lead now, she has to bring all of her goalkeeper candidates along.
“I think it’s fair to say Phallon’s experience at this moment in time with the current group that I’ve got is ahead,” Hayes said. “I still want to develop the other goalkeepers so I get a fair sense of where their level in relation to each other but also in relation to 2027. ... I don’t think it’s just as simple as saying you’re my number one and developing one. I think it would be foolish of me to do that.”
One thing Hayes was thrilled about was the play of Girma. This and the China game last week were Girma’s first of the season with the national team as she recovered from a calf injury. The game was Girma’s first to wear the captain’s armband from the start.
“Naomi is like getting the Rolls-Royce out of the garage,” Hayes said. “What an unbelievable football player, just like a Rolls-Royce is an unbelievable car. She just brings a level of composure and decision making in the deepest spaces that’s so underrated. I thought she communicated well as the leader tonight, and that was important to the team, that we communicated well and she led by example in that. And we can put her back in the garage for a couple of weeks.”
ӣƵ City SC's interim coach, David Critchley reacts to first win over the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday, May 31, 2025. Video by Beth O'Malley
Sentnor, Biyendolo each score two goals as U.S. salutes Becky Sauerbrunn with 4-0 win
U.S. Soccer said farewell to Becky Sauerbrunn on Tuesday night and hello again to Ally Sentnor.
Sauerbrunn got best wishes on her retirement from the crowd at Energizer Park, which chanted her name whenever it saw her, and Sentnor, appearing in just her ninth game for the national team and making just her fourth start, scored twice in the first half as the U.S. women’s national team beat Jamaica, 4-0, in a friendly match at Energizer Park. Lynn Biyendolo added two goals coming off the bench in the second half.
The U.S. team dominated the match, with Jamaica seldom getting past midfield and U.S. goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce probably not breaking a sweat.
Prior to the game, Sauerbrunn, the greatest woman player to come out of ӣƵ (and probably the greatest U.S. player to never score a goal for the national team) was presented with a framed jersey with the number 219 on it, representing the number of games she played with the national team, the tenth-most all-time. She was joined at midfield by family and friends after stepping away from the sideline analyst desk of the TNT broadcast. After the game, the team joined Sauerbrunn at the desk to celebrate her retirement and her birthday on Friday with a cake.
Sauerbrunn hasn’t really lived in ӣƵ since going off to college at the University of Virginia, and then moving around the country for her career before settling in Portland, where she’s lived for about 10 years. But ӣƵ made its mark.
“I leaned on the soccer culture here quite a bit,” Sauerbrunn said. “Thinking about what I did on the weekends. I went to indoor ӣƵ Ambush and Steamers games, like that was the event for us. And having camps at Maryville, like Pat McBride camp, like all these things that I got to do through the years. Some of the best coaches that I've ever had were from ӣƵ. So I think the culture here and just being ingrained in, like, a real soccer city. I know a lot of people say that they're a soccer city. ӣƵ is a soccer city, and so having that, the areas that we got to train in, like The Hill, and so it's just cool that I think the culture really helped grow that passion early, and it's something that I've carried on through.”
“I remember Becky when I had a really brief spell with the Washington Freedom,” U.S. coach Emma Hayes said. “I just remember, this was before she was on the national team and I remember walking in and saying to Jim (Gabarra, coach of the team), how is she not on the national team? She's got everything the country's looking for. She's composed. She's got great poise. She's got something that gets so underestimated as a defender, she anticipates things well, therefore she doesn't have to emergency defend, because she's always in the right position, a quiet leader that I'm pretty certain that once she got on the national team, she was never going to come off.”
While the U.S. has a exciting set of forwards in Trinity Rodman, Mallory Swanson and Sophia Wilson, the so-called Triple Espresso, none of them are in this camp for various reasons. Sentnor, 21, is one of the players giving Hayes depth at that position, and players to turn to when injuries happen.
Sentnor has four goals this season, the high on the team, after making her national team debut late last season. She got her first on Tuesday in the 19th minute, scoring from about 12 yards out, and then getting the second 10 minutes later when a deflected shot by a teammate came to her and she drove it in. Had another good scoring chance that she couldn’t finish and was subbed out in the 66th minute, ending her shot at a hat trick.
Biyendolo scored off a corner kick in the 60th minute to make it 3-0, just two minutes after she entered the game as a sub, then scored again in the 88th minute.
At 32, midfielder Lo'eau LaBonta finally getting her chance with US women's national team
U.S. midfielder Lo'eau LaBonta (center) goes through a training session on Monday, June 2, 2025, at Energizer Park in preparation for the U.S. game vs. Jamaica. Photo by Tom Timmermann
Tom Timmermann
Lo’eau LaBonta has played in hundreds of soccer games over the years, but when the Kansas City Current midfielder went into the U.S. women’s national team game with China on Saturday in the 70th minute, it was an all-new experience.
“Oh, it was amazing,” she said Monday, standing a short distance from the field at Energizer Park. “I was on the bench just cheering on, being the best teammate I could be. They called my name, and I think my heart rate shot up and I was ready to go.”
The cause for all the excitement for LaBonta was that getting in that game was the end of a very long wait. At 32 years, two months and 13 days, LaBonta was the oldest player ever to make her debut for the U.S. women’s team, by more than a year. The player she replaced on the field, Lily Yohannes, is 17, and just past half LaBonta’s age.
LaBonta could very possibly make her second appearance with the national team Tuesday night, when the United States faces Jamaica in a friendly match. With only two days off between this match and the China match on Friday, coach Emma Hayes figures to make many changes to her lineup.
LaBonta’s story is one of perseverance. She’s made provisional rosters, the list of players told to be ready for a possible call-up, for the national team over the run of her 11-year pro career but was never was able to make the final cut and fulfill her dream. Finally she did.
“I think it’s always a goal, right?” she said. “It’s always there. Maybe I didn’t think it was going to happen, but I didn’t stop trying. I didn’t stop working to be the best that I could. And I think that’s what the national team is. If you’re playing, they want the best. So whether I was subconsciously doing it or not, that was always a goal.”
“Lo’s situation should serve as a reminder to everyone that we watch every game and that we are invested in what you’re doing, day in, day out,” said Hayes. “Age is just a number, and she’s fit and she’s healthy. She’s someone who’s always striving, and I’ve heard her speak a number of times. She’s someone who constantly sees that there’s room for improvement in what she’s doing.”
Even though she’s the second-oldest player in this camp, behind only defender Crystal Dunn (who made her 160th appearance on Saturday), LaBonta brings energy. Hayes said that in the internal competitions within the team, LaBonta is among the leaders. She’s also, along with Dunn, the shortest player on the team at 5-foot-1.
“She still wants to improve all the time,” Hayes said, “but she’s come in not just with great humility but a great confidence in herself and what she brings. She’s soaked up every single minute like it was her last, and her behaviors towards not just herself, but everybody else in the team, I think serves as a great reminder that while it’s never too late but also that you never stop learning. And she’s been an unbelievable learner all week with an unbelievable growth mindset. She’s been absolutely brilliant.”
“I got to where I am because I’m very competitive,” said LaBonta. “You can clearly see I’m not the tallest, strongest, fastest, so I’ve had to work the hardest. ... I’m just trying to soak up everything I can and be competitive as well.”
LaBonta has never gotten this much attention in her career, which includes an NCAA championship at Stanford, where she graduated with a degree in engineering. Right now, she’s the talk of U.S. soccer.
“It is fascinating,” she said. “My dad first said it. He was like, ‘I’ve never seen someone get so much love.’ And then I was like: Oh, but that’s just a dad. He’s a fan. Of course, he’s going to focus on me. But then my husband, who’s had an international career as well, was like, ‘No, everyone is loving you.’ And it’s a great story, right? Someone finally achieved their dreams this far on. So I have felt it. I’ve loved it. If I haven’t responded to you yet, I’m really trying. I’m just trying to impress Emma first before I get back to your messages. I’ve felt it, and I love it.”
And now that she’s achieved that goal of playing for the national team, she wants more.
“Yeah I want more,” she said. “I’m going back to the buffet. I want more of that.”
The match Tuesday was originally supposed to be against China, which the U.S. beat 3-0 on Saturday, but the Chinese bowed out of the second game in April. Jamaica was picked as a replacement. While Jamaica has gone to the past two women’s World Cups, it’s No. 40 in the current FIFA rankings compared to No. 15 for China.
“The big challenge now is we’ve demonstrated we can do our first game really well in camp,” Hayes said. “The challenge is sustaining that level over a 90-minute period in the second game. Now, granted, I’ve made lots of changes from Game 1 to Game 2 as we develop an accumulation of experience for a bigger depth, larger playing pool, but that will be the challenge I set for the team is: I want to see another level in us again over a 90-minute period.”
The game is also be a tribute match for former U.S. national team defender and captain Becky Sauerbrunn, the Ladue High graduate who retired at the end of the last NWSL season.
ӣƵ City SC's interim coach, David Critchley reacts to first win over the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday, May 31, 2025. Video by Beth O'Malley
After retirement, Ladue’s Becky Sauerbrunn learns life after soccer still involves soccer
Becky Sauerbrunn figures she became a soccer player, rather than just someone who plays soccer, when she was 14 years old, when she went to her first Olympic development camp and it all became serious. So when she retired from the game in December, at the age of 39, she had spent almost two-thirds of her life in pursuit of the game. It dictated her daily routines, when she woke, what she ate, and larger ones, like when she could go on vacation or what family events she could take part in.
Now, the Ladue High graduate who went on to become one of the best defenders in the history of the U.S. women’s national team has all the time she needs.
“It’s different,” she said. “It is a change of pace. But I am really enjoying it. I have been staying busy enough while still getting some really good quality downtime. It’s nice to be out of the grind a little bit.
“Not having to do a vacation crammed in between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Getting to go to weddings and getting to go home and having a girls weekend. These things I didn’t get to have for the last two decades. I’m looking forward to getting to experience that.”
Sauerbrunn waited until her NWSL season was over to announce her retirement, which kept the tributes to a minimum, but she will get a formal sendoff from the game on Tuesday when she’s honored before the U.S. team’s match with Jamaica at Energizer Park. She was going to be there anyway in her new role as a commentator for broadcasts on TNT, but this will be a chance for everyone to say their goodbyes and pay their respects to her. (And, for the first 2,000 fans at the game, to get a Becky Sauerbrunn bobblehead.)
Sauerbrunn packed a lot into her career. She appeared in 219 games with the national team, the 10-most in the program’s history, played in three World Cups (and was on track for a fourth before a foot injury knocked her out of the 2023 tournament) and three Olympics. She won a gold medal at the 2012 Olympics and won championships at the 2015 and 2019 Women’s World Cups. And she left a mark on the sport that resonates with her former teammates.
“I think now getting to go back to her hometown and honor her is so special,” said U.S. defender Naomi Girma, now the team’s defensive anchor and who, only after making sure it was OK with Sauerbrunn, began to wear the No. 4 that Sauerbrunn wore for years. “I’m just honestly excited to see her but also for her to have her moment and get her flowers, which I feel like she doesn’t allow to happen often, so I’m happy that she’s allowing us to honor her. ... (Wearing No. 4) always makes me think of Becky, and she did that number right for many, many years. So I was happy to wear it after her.”
“There are aspects that I absolutely miss,” Sauerbrunn said by phone from her home in Portland, Oregon. “I miss the training and just being around the players and the feeling on the field when an exercise is going really well or a passing pattern is really cooking and everyone’s kind of clicking. I miss that. I miss the feeling at the end of the game when you know you’ve put in a really good shift, and if your team wins, it’s even better, but just kind of that sense of accomplishment that you get from sport. I’m trying to find that in other areas of my life.”
The foot injury that kept her out of the 2023 Women’s World Cup, where she again would have captained the team, also cost her most of that season in NWSL play, but in 2024, she was back with her club, the Portland Thorns, and she played in 25 of 26 games. And as the season went on, she started to ponder how much longer she should play.
“It wasn’t super clear,” she said. “I think had 2023 gone better for me, just on and off the field. I think maybe I could have said goodbye in 2023, but I didn’t want to say goodbye in the way that it would have been. I wanted one more year to enjoy playing and enjoy my life on and off the field, and so I’m glad I gave myself that extra year. Could I have squeezed out another season or two? Sure, but I wanted to leave something in the tank. I didn’t want to be holding on for dear life onto my career. I wanted to still be at a level that I was proud of. And I got to do that in 2024, and so it did seem like the right time, but it wasn’t crystal clear.”
A producer had already been asking Sauerbrunn about doing television, but Sauerbrunn had tabled those conversations. But as soon as she retired, the invitation was extended. Sauerbrunn had already gone through a program organized by the U.S. women’s national team’s players association that had put players through some training at USC’s school of communications, so Sauerbrunn knew what she was getting into. She also had begun doing a podcast, “The Women’s Game,” along with another women’s team retiree, Sam Mewis, and the still active Lynn Biyendolo. (It was on the podcast that she recently announced she is pregnant.)
Staying around soccer is good for Sauerbrunn because, as she admits, after about 25 years of playing the game, it’s what she knows best.
“I feel very underqualified to do most things in the workforce, considering all I’ve ever done is play soccer,” she said.
Eduard Lowen turns David Critchley’s ӣƵ City SC coaching debut into win
City SC midfielder Eduard Löwen scores the game-winning goal on a penalty kick against the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday, May 31, 2025, at Energizer Park.
Eli Randolph, Post-Dispatch
When ӣƵ City SC gave up a goal in the 83rd minute to San Jose, turning a 1-0 lead into a 1-1 tie, the sag in team spirits was predictable. After all, this was not unfamiliar territory over the past 2½ months.
But for once, City SC managed to rewrite the script and turn David Critchley’s first game as interim coach from being more of the same to being, City SC hopes, the start of something new.
Simon Becher earned a penalty kick that Eduard Lowen drove home in the 92nd minute as City SC snapped its 11-game winless streak, winning its first game since March 15 by beating San Jose 2-1 on Saturday afternoon at Energizer Park.
As bad as it looked when the score went to 1-1, they believed.
“It was definitely tough,” said Lowen, who made his first start since March 22 after dealing with personal issues and had a goal and an assist. “We put a lot of pressure on ourselves. We wanted to win that game so much. We knew that game was very important, and then conceding a goal like that, kind of out of nowhere, was a little bit unexpected and a knock on the face. … But then a great ball from Conrad (Wallem), amazing Simon to get that penalty kick. So, it's amazing to win that game.”
“ ‘Belief’ is one word we're going to have around here,” said Critchley, who took over the team at practice on Wednesday after the firing Tuesday of Olof Mellberg. “I just had a feeling. I believed in the team, and I knew everything we talked about. We accepted nothing today but three points as a team. So, the mentality was super, super important for us. Yes, they equalized, gave us a little bit of adversity. It's OK. We're changing things around here. We don't sit back in those moments. We go and try and win a football game, and that's what we done and that's what was deserving of the three points today.”
There were plenty of changes on Saturday, some of them brand new, some throwbacks to earlier days in City SC history, but the biggest change was a win. After beating Seattle 1-0 on March 15, City SC had eight losses and three ties in MLS play, which led to Mellberg being fired after just 15 games. And it wasn’t just the results in that span, but how they got there: Just 11 goals scored compared to 20 goals allowed, with 11 goals allowed in the 70th minute or later in the past seven games (including one Open Cup game).
Enter Critchley, called up from City2 after time spent with the club’s academy teams. He made three changes to the starting lineup, moved Chris Durkin from defensive midfield to center back, and cranked up the high pressing defense to levels not seen this season.
“I think we get a corner kick in 20 seconds,” Critchley said, “and you can already feel fans on the edge of their seats ready for this place to explode. We talked about the first ten minutes, what did we want to look like and how did we want to engage the fans and how did we want to bring them into the game with us. This is the best stadium in the country at home for me. Why not utilize our fans and support, get them on the edge of their seat, and we done that from 30 seconds into the game all the way to 96 minutes.”
“Something that I like about him, that you can tell, is that he is a lot about relationships with the players,” said Lowen. “That makes it a little bit easier for you going out there with a coach who is giving you confidence and is pushing you to have joy out there, to have fun out there playing.”
Of course, for all of the X’s and O’s and back slaps and joking around from Critchley, the biggest difference may well have been Lowen’s return to the lineup. Since getting a red card against Philadelphia on March 22, Lowen has played just 66 minutes, 45 of them in an Open Cup game against a third division team. Lowen was good healthwise, but needed time to deal with a personal matter that isn’t over and could force him to leave the team again. On Saturday, he served a long ball to Klauss that the striker won and turned into a goal and then put in the game-winning penalty kick.
“I think from day one,” Klauss said, “everybody in this room knows how important Edu is for us, not just as a player, but for the group. Everybody knows what he's going through, and we have to respect him and give him his space. But it's very, very important for us to have him back. I was joking with him before the game. My job is easier now. I just have to pass the ball to Edu and then run again, and that's how we scored. So, I'm very happy to have him back, but as I say, we have to give him his space. We don't know how much he’s going to be around. I think that's his decision, and I think everybody should respect that.”
“So composed, so calm in that moment where a lot of players can get carried away,” Critchley said. “But I had no doubt he was going to score that penalty at the end. It was written for him. So, to have him back on the team has been fantastic.”
Lowen said he almost didn’t play. He took a knock in training that left him with headaches and had a sore hamstring.
“I had quite some pain,” he said. “I kind of kept it to myself. I wanted to play so much, and I was so excited for that game, and then I was able to play throughout the entire game, which I can only give glory to the Lord.”
On City SC’s first goal, two minutes into first half stoppage time, Lowen played a long ball to Klauss, that he headed toward the San Jose goal. Earthquakes goalkeeper Earl Edwards Jr. thought about coming out to get it, then changed his mind. His initial move froze San Jose center back Max Floriani, giving Klauss a chance to win the race to the ball and he one-timed the shot from about 10 yards to score.
ӣƵ City SC players Eduard Lowen and Klauss react to the win Saturday, May 31, 2025, over the San Jose Earthquakes. Video by Beth O'Malley
“Normally when you go these duels, you expect someone to run into the space,” Klauss said. “You normally don’t have enough time to get to the ball. When I saw the goalkeeper didn’t come out, I saw the opportunity and it was a good finish.”
It was the fourth goal of the season for Klauss, though two of those came in Open Cup matches. For Lowen, it was his first assist of the season, though he gave all the credit to Klauss. “I think it was a decent ball,” he said, “but he made a lot out of it.”
Holding leads hasn’t been a City SC strength this season and in the 83rd minute, Jozef Martinez got his foot on a ball into the box by Vitor Costa and redirected it past Roman Burki to tie the game. It was the second time in the past three games City SC had given up a tying goal in the 83rd minute or later.
But this one was different. Becher had come on in the 72nd minute for Klauss, who left the field limping but said after the game he felt fine, and outraced defender Reid Roberts for a long ball, with Roberts falling down on the play. That put Becher alone in the box with Edwards and he played the ball to the side to try to get around Edwards, but how that would work we’ll never know because Edwards plowed into Becher, knocking him over. Referee Ismir Pekmic didn’t hesitate to signal a penalty kick and Lowen drilled it to his lower right for the game-winner. Energizer Park exploded in cheers.
At the final whistle, the scene was repeated. Lowen dropped to his knees at the center circle, while players and staff, including sporting director Lutz Pfannenstiel, mobbed Critchley.
“I'm obviously a smaller guy and a lighter guy,” Critchley said, “and guys are dragging me all over the place, and I'm trying to soak it in and I'm trying to enjoy it. I'm trying to be thankful for the moment.”
Photos: ӣƵ City SC secures 2-1 win over the San Jose Earthquakes at home
City SC midfielder Eduard Löwen scores the game-winning goal on a penalty kick against the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday, May 31, 2025, at Energizer Park.
Eli Randolph, Post-Dispatch
ӣƵ City SC interim coach David Critchley waves to the crowd while celebrating the teams 2-1 win during the ӣƵ City SC game against the San Jose Earthquakes at Energizer Park in ӣƵ on Saturday, May 31, 2025.
Eli Randolph, Post-Dispatch
City SC defender Jayden Reid (99) jumps for the ball during a game against San Jose on Saturday, May 31, 2025, at Energizer Park.
Eli Randolph, Post-Dispatch
ӣƵ City forward Joao Klauss (9) jumps to hit the ball during the ӣƵ City SC game against the San Jose Earthquakes at Energizer Park in ӣƵ on Saturday, May 31, 2025.
Eli Randolph, Post-Dispatch
ӣƵ City midfielder Chris Durkin (8) defends against San Jose Earthquakes midfielder Hernán López (23) during the ӣƵ City SC game against the San Jose Earthquakes at Energizer Park in ӣƵ on Saturday, May 31, 2025.
Eli Randolph, Post-Dispatch
ӣƵ City SC interim coach David Critchley reacts to his teams 2-1 win during the ӣƵ City SC game against the San Jose Earthquakes at Energizer Park in ӣƵ on Saturday, May 31, 2025.
Eli Randolph, Post-Dispatch
City SC forward Joao Klauss (9) celebrates with his team after scoring the first goal of the match late in the first half against the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday, May 31, 2025, at Energizer Park.
Eli Randolph, Post-Dispatch
ӣƵ City midfielder Eduard Löwen (10) splashes water on his face during the ӣƵ City SC game against the San Jose Earthquakes at Energizer Park in ӣƵ on Saturday, May 31, 2025.
Eli Randolph, Post-Dispatch
ӣƵ City SC midfielder Eduard Löwen (10) passes the ball during the ӣƵ City SC game against the San Jose Earthquakes at Energizer Park in ӣƵ on Saturday, May 31, 2025.
Eli Randolph, Post-Dispatch
ӣƵ City SC striker Xande Silva (45) reacts to a call by the referee during the ӣƵ City SC game against the San Jose Earthquakes at Energizer Park in ӣƵ on Saturday, May 31, 2025.
Eli Randolph, Post-Dispatch
City SC forward Simon Becher celebrates during a game against San Jose on Saturday, May 31, 2025, at Energizer Park.
Eli Randolph, Post-Dispatch
ӣƵ City SC forward Cedric Teuchert (36) speaks with medical staff before leaving the game during the ӣƵ City SC game against the San Jose Earthquakes at Energizer Park in ӣƵ on Saturday, May 31, 2025.
Eli Randolph, Post-Dispatch
City SC interim coach David Critchley shouts instruction to his players during a game against the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday, May 31, 2025, at Energizer Park.
Eli Randolph, Post-Dispatch
ӣƵ City SC defender Joey Zalinsky (71) jumps over Jose Earthquakes centre back Reid Roberts (18) during the ӣƵ City SC game against the San Jose Earthquakes at Energizer Park in ӣƵ on Saturday, May 31, 2025.
Eli Randolph, Post-Dispatch
ӣƵ City SC midfielder Eduard Löwen (10) hugs ӣƵ City SC defender Henry Kessler (5) during the ӣƵ City SC game against the San Jose Earthquakes at Energizer Park in ӣƵ on Saturday, May 31, 2025.
Eli Randolph, Post-Dispatch
City SC forward Simon Becher, left, runs past San Jose Earthquakes center back Reid Roberts on Saturday, May 31, 2025, at Energizer Park.
Eli Randolph, Post-Dispatch
ӣƵ City SC midfielder Eduard Löwen (10) celebrates his game winning shot with the crowd during the ӣƵ City SC game against the San Jose Earthquakes at Energizer Park in ӣƵ on Saturday, May 31, 2025.
Eli Randolph, Post-Dispatch
City SC interim coach David Critchley celebrates the team’s 2-1 win against the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday, May 31, 2025, at Energizer Park.
Eli Randolph, Post-Dispatch
ӣƵ City SC striker Xande Silva (45) speaks with a referee after receiving a yellow card during the ӣƵ City SC game against the San Jose Earthquakes at Energizer Park in ӣƵ on Saturday, May 31, 2025.
Eli Randolph, Post-Dispatch
Worthy: One game after upheaval, City SC looks like it just might save its season after all
Just like that, ӣƵ City SC gave itself a fresh start, a new beginning. The club snapped the winless streak and let a ray of sunshine break through the cloud that hung over the club for more than two months.
More than that, City SC seemed more capable of taking its season back than it has in weeks. Well, as much as it can in just one match.
It still counts as one win. There are no multipliers that give the victory more weight in the standings. There’s no special designation for that match that sets it apart and above the previous 11 MLS matches when City SC couldn’t beg, borrow or steal its way into the win column.
Yet the match stands alone because of everything that preceded it, and the altered vibe coming away from it.
Saturday’s match against San Jose at Energizer Park provided the opportunity for something akin to a second Opening Day for City SC, minus the pomp and circumstance and clean slate in the standings.
There might not have been a franchise that needed a 2-1 win more than City SC did on Saturday.
It gave the organization, the team and the fan base a restart in the middle of the season, a moment, a change that people can point to as the beginning of a turnaround — hopefully.
This past week’s firing of head coach Olof Mellberg and the insertion of City2 coach David Critchley on an interim basis included the expectation, if not an implied promise, that the type of play that unfolded on the pitch would reflect the aggressive, attacking philosophy and pressing style touted by City SC leadership.
City SC interim coach David Critchley celebrates the team’s 2-1 win against the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday, May 31, 2025, at Energizer Park.
Eli Randolph, Post-Dispatch
To be clear, that implied promise wasn’t that this change would instantly result in some monumental win streak.
However, the word “entertain” freely rolled off the lips of both City SC sporting director Lutz Pfannenstiel and Critchley on Thursday afternoon.
As in a style that would entertain the fans, a brand of game that would be edge-of-your-seat as opposed to slump-in-your-seat.
Team president and general manager Diego Gigliani described the players as having “pressed that reset button” in training during the week amidst the coaching change.
“We can’t think how we have to make the playoffs right now,” Pfannenstiel said. “That would be not realistic. I think we’re thinking now from game to game. Get back into a flow. Get back into belief. Get some confidence back. I think David Critchley can do that. Diego said grab the bull by the horns, that was something (Wednesday) you really felt.”
All that begged the question: How much of a change would or could be felt in the stadium?
The players hadn’t been heard from since the coaching change, but their play figured to speak volumes.
From the start on Saturday, City SC clearly played with a higher level of aggression. Was it a whirlwind of difference? No, but it was noticeable.
City SC afforded San Jose less time and space when San Jose possessed the ball than had become commonplace in recent matches, particularly at home.
You saw tangible instances of this idea that City SC could force action when it didn’t have the ball, that not having the ball somehow allowed for more intensity and that intensity, in turn, could generate counterattacking opportunities.
City SC goalkeeper Roman Burki launched multiple long balls down field in effort to take advantage of the open space and gave players like Celio Pompeu and Xande Silva chances to outrace opponents to the ball and potentially wreak havoc.
ӣƵ City SC players Eduard Lowen and Klauss react to the win Saturday, May 31, 2025, over the San Jose Earthquakes. Video by Beth O'Malley
There it was again in those moments — the aggression and a team on the attack. A team ready to use its opponent’s aggressiveness to spark it’s own.
It was hardly a non-stop onslaught from City SC that put San Jose on its heels. No, it wasn’t the relentless flurry that made you wonder if City SC players literally had fire in their shoes.
However, they applied enough pressure where it felt as though their first goal was a reward for their aggression.
Even on that first goal, Joao Klauss simply seemed to want it more than a pair of San Jose defenders who were in position to do something about it. Instead, Klauss beat both defenders to the ball and took advantage of a moment of indecision by San Jose goalkeeper Earl Edwards Jr. after Edwards came off his line and froze for a split second.
While that City SC pressure dipped in the second half, and San Jose became the aggressor for a period leading up to and following their lone goal, the City SC counter attack delivered again.
City SC forward Simon Becher, left, runs past San Jose Earthquakes center back Reid Roberts on Saturday, May 31, 2025, at Energizer Park.
Eli Randolph, Post-Dispatch
Simon Becher’s dogged pursuit of the ball and nose for the goal led to the decisive penalty kick after Edwards up-ended Becher in the box as regulation time concluded and extra time began.
Central midfielder Eduard Lowen, who scored the game-winning goal, reference getting a “new coach” and “new energy” during his on-field interview broadcast throughout the stadium.
At least for a day, City SC recaptured a bit of the spirit that had shaped the club. Certainly, there’s much more work to do in order to build on this one match, and it will only get more difficult.
For now though, City SC followers can feel like they still have a soccer season.
Photos: ӣƵ City SC secures 2-1 win over the San Jose Earthquakes at home
City SC midfielder Eduard Löwen scores the game-winning goal on a penalty kick against the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday, May 31, 2025, at Energizer Park.
Eli Randolph, Post-Dispatch
ӣƵ City SC interim coach David Critchley waves to the crowd while celebrating the teams 2-1 win during the ӣƵ City SC game against the San Jose Earthquakes at Energizer Park in ӣƵ on Saturday, May 31, 2025.
Eli Randolph, Post-Dispatch
City SC defender Jayden Reid (99) jumps for the ball during a game against San Jose on Saturday, May 31, 2025, at Energizer Park.
Eli Randolph, Post-Dispatch
ӣƵ City forward Joao Klauss (9) jumps to hit the ball during the ӣƵ City SC game against the San Jose Earthquakes at Energizer Park in ӣƵ on Saturday, May 31, 2025.
Eli Randolph, Post-Dispatch
ӣƵ City midfielder Chris Durkin (8) defends against San Jose Earthquakes midfielder Hernán López (23) during the ӣƵ City SC game against the San Jose Earthquakes at Energizer Park in ӣƵ on Saturday, May 31, 2025.
Eli Randolph, Post-Dispatch
ӣƵ City SC interim coach David Critchley reacts to his teams 2-1 win during the ӣƵ City SC game against the San Jose Earthquakes at Energizer Park in ӣƵ on Saturday, May 31, 2025.
Eli Randolph, Post-Dispatch
City SC forward Joao Klauss (9) celebrates with his team after scoring the first goal of the match late in the first half against the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday, May 31, 2025, at Energizer Park.
Eli Randolph, Post-Dispatch
ӣƵ City midfielder Eduard Löwen (10) splashes water on his face during the ӣƵ City SC game against the San Jose Earthquakes at Energizer Park in ӣƵ on Saturday, May 31, 2025.
Eli Randolph, Post-Dispatch
ӣƵ City SC midfielder Eduard Löwen (10) passes the ball during the ӣƵ City SC game against the San Jose Earthquakes at Energizer Park in ӣƵ on Saturday, May 31, 2025.
Eli Randolph, Post-Dispatch
ӣƵ City SC striker Xande Silva (45) reacts to a call by the referee during the ӣƵ City SC game against the San Jose Earthquakes at Energizer Park in ӣƵ on Saturday, May 31, 2025.
Eli Randolph, Post-Dispatch
City SC forward Simon Becher celebrates during a game against San Jose on Saturday, May 31, 2025, at Energizer Park.
Eli Randolph, Post-Dispatch
ӣƵ City SC forward Cedric Teuchert (36) speaks with medical staff before leaving the game during the ӣƵ City SC game against the San Jose Earthquakes at Energizer Park in ӣƵ on Saturday, May 31, 2025.
Eli Randolph, Post-Dispatch
City SC interim coach David Critchley shouts instruction to his players during a game against the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday, May 31, 2025, at Energizer Park.
Eli Randolph, Post-Dispatch
ӣƵ City SC defender Joey Zalinsky (71) jumps over Jose Earthquakes centre back Reid Roberts (18) during the ӣƵ City SC game against the San Jose Earthquakes at Energizer Park in ӣƵ on Saturday, May 31, 2025.
Eli Randolph, Post-Dispatch
ӣƵ City SC midfielder Eduard Löwen (10) hugs ӣƵ City SC defender Henry Kessler (5) during the ӣƵ City SC game against the San Jose Earthquakes at Energizer Park in ӣƵ on Saturday, May 31, 2025.
Eli Randolph, Post-Dispatch
City SC forward Simon Becher, left, runs past San Jose Earthquakes center back Reid Roberts on Saturday, May 31, 2025, at Energizer Park.
Eli Randolph, Post-Dispatch
ӣƵ City SC midfielder Eduard Löwen (10) celebrates his game winning shot with the crowd during the ӣƵ City SC game against the San Jose Earthquakes at Energizer Park in ӣƵ on Saturday, May 31, 2025.
Eli Randolph, Post-Dispatch
City SC interim coach David Critchley celebrates the team’s 2-1 win against the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday, May 31, 2025, at Energizer Park.
Eli Randolph, Post-Dispatch
ӣƵ City SC striker Xande Silva (45) speaks with a referee after receiving a yellow card during the ӣƵ City SC game against the San Jose Earthquakes at Energizer Park in ӣƵ on Saturday, May 31, 2025.
