This Saturday, St. Louis CITY SC welcomes Minnesota United to what will be an important match in the Western Conference standings at CITYPARK. The matchup this season between these two will prove pivotal, one that could define the remaining stretch run in the MLS regular season. The last season saw away teams win both encounters: Minnesota United prevailed 1-0 in St. Louis, and CITY SC outdid them 2-1 on the Loons' pitch. With a home advantage now, CITY SC seeks to use the playing at home status to cement their position in the standings.
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St. Louis CITY SC: Home Unbeaten Streak
St. Louis CITY SC comes into this match on a four-game regular season unbeaten streak with the team proving to be strong on home turf. All five of the team's wins this season have come at CITYPARK, where they have proven to be much more effective with multi-goal efforts in each of their 16 wins throughout franchise history. This has certainly been an important piece of consistency in front of their supporters to help balance out CITY SC's season.
Goalkeeper Roman Bürki has also contributed to this home success by keeping five clean sheets at CITYPARK and sharing a top position in the league for the best goalkeepers at home in terms of clean sheets. It is this defensive solidity, even through injuries to the backline, that has been a key factor in the team's control of the game with solid possession and a reliable defense.
Balanced Attack: Klauss and Löwen
Offensively, St. Louis CITY SC has clicked on all cylinders, spearheaded by Brazilian forward Klauss and midfielder Eduard Löwen. Klauss is the top scorer at CITYPARK with eight goals, while Löwen is hot on his heels, scoring seven times and leading the team with 13 assists. Löwen proved to be very influential in goals, having contributed directly to 20 goals-seven goals and 13 assists-in only 24 games at CITYPARK.
In addition, young striker Simon Becher has scored four times in his past seven games. Becher is making an impact and will be another attacker the Minnesota United rear guard will need to contend with.
Minnesota United: Struggles on the Road
Minnesota United heads to town struggling on the road. Although it currently sits ninth in the Western Conference standings, it has won just once in its last eight away games. The poor record that can be a problem against a St. Louis CITY SC team that has turned the CITYPARK into one home stronghold.
Regardless, Minnesota has flashed their potential from time to time and will not be a pushover opponent. With the recent losses on the road notwithstanding, the roster contains players that can provide the impetus to tilt games in their favor at crucial moments. It's been a while since Minnesota enjoyed a road win; it's high time for them to get back into their rhythm to take them up the table.
Head-to-Head History
Both St. Louis and Minnesota have played twice in the past season, where the balance between the teams can be noted. Minnesota won in St. Louis 1-0 and CITY SC replied away with a win of 2-1. Therefore, this coming Saturday, the matchup will have extra flavor.
Also worth noting is that Klauss and Njabulo Blom were scorers in the instance when CITY SC took down Minnesota this season. Perhaps those historical lines motivate the home team to repeat such success and get another very important victory.
Expectations for the Game
A win for St. Louis CITY SC would see them further extend this unbeaten run and start to make things more interesting towards the top of the Western Conference standings. Even in a season that has been tougher than their inaugural campaign, they have shown there is still plenty to give. Home advantage is key, and with Klauss, Löwen, and Becher in good form, CITY SC come into this match with an awful lot of confidence.
Perhaps one of the most crucial challenges Minnesota United has in this match is trying to break their poor run of away performances while securing vital points. A better road performance is something it must do if it's going to keep them near the playoff hunt. This match against St Louis presents an important opportunity for Minnesota to regain momentum once more and take the season into a proper course.