NYCFC Aims to Stay Focused Against St. Louis City Despite Their Slow Start

For some MLS clubs, the season’s first international break felt like a basketball team heading to halftime with a big lead.

While it’s great to get some rest, the question remains: how much momentum is lost?

New York City FC will find out when they face St. Louis City SC on Saturday.

Coach Pascal Jansen’s New York team has achieved three wins and one draw in their first five matches, with their only loss coming from a close 3-2 defeat against Inter Miami, the reigning MLS Cup champions, just before the break.

Jansen expressed satisfaction with the preparation of his players who stayed back during the break.

“This is always an interesting time,” Jansen stated. “You might think we’re going to relax a little, but it’s about finding the right balance between resting and staying focused on individual improvement. I believe we handled that well.”

Nicolas Fernandez and Agustin Ojeda scored in the loss to Miami. Fernandez currently ranks third in MLS with five goals and shares the most shots on goal, totaling 12. Maxi Moralez leads the league with four assists, helping the team outscore opponents 13-6.

New York will face a St. Louis team that recently celebrated its first win of the season with a 3-1 victory over the New England Revolution.

Despite only scoring four goals in five games this season, the win against New England was crucial. Simon Becher and Christopher Durkin netted goals in the first half, and Marcel Hartel scored a stunning goal late in the match after a defensive mistake.

Jansen isn’t misled by St. Louis’s 1-3-1 record.

“They have been unlucky with results so far, as they have played better than what their record suggests,” Jansen said. “They deserve more from several of their matches, and it’s our job to ensure that doesn’t happen.”

St. Louis midfielder Eduard Lowen returned to practice this week for the first time since the passing of his wife, Ilona, on March 9. It remains uncertain if Lowen will play this weekend.

“He’s just happy to be back on the pitch with his teammates, trying to distract himself,” said coach Yoann Damet. “We’ll take it day by day, evaluate his condition, and see how he feels physically before making any decisions.”