St. Louis: Ex-St. Paulianer Hartel continues to fight the crisis!

St. Louis: Ex-St. Paulianer Hartel continues to fight the crisis!

What's new from distant America? The St. Louis CITY SC soccer club continues to go around in circles, and the former St. Paulian Marcel Hartel has not yet been able to free himself from the crisis. After a promising start to the season, in which the Missouri team shone with eight points from the first four games, it soon became “defeat, after defeat, after defeat”. St. Louis has now been waiting for a win for eleven games, which should really dampen the mood in the team and among the fans. Only a brief glimmer of hope came at the end of May 2023 with a 2-1 win against the San Jose Earthquakes, but it quickly fizzled out - most recently they were beaten 0-1 by Houston Dynamo. Some may be wondering how quickly things can go downhill in Major League Soccer (MLS).

The situation is dramatic: St. Louis CITY SC finds itself in 14th place out of 15 in the Western Conference. Only the LA Galaxy have an even weaker balance sheet. It will be exciting in the coming weeks to see whether the team can turn things around or whether the negative streak continues. Hartel is a regular player and wore the captain's armband at times, but he cannot boost the team's performance alone. A permanent place in the starting eleven is not enough to get an entire team out of trouble.

Upheaval at St. Louis CITY SC

The past few seasons have been up and down for St. Louis. The 2023 debut season was promising as the team led the Western Conference. But the following season was less pleasant and St. Louis became the third team from the Western Conference to be knocked out of the playoff race. The expectations for the coming 2025 season are all the more high, and those responsible are optimistic. John Hackworth, who is currently acting as interim coach, could be given the chance to lead the club's fortunes in the long term. Squad planning for the new season is already in full swing and the faces of the new arrivals are making people sit up and take notice. For example, there is Cedric Teuchert, who is already causing a sensation with five goals in seven MLS games.

In the future, however, it's not just the offensive that has to be convincing. The team has conceded 58 goals this season, which is one of the worst figures in the league - action is needed here. Defensive players like Eduard Lowen and strong goalkeeper Roman Bürki are key figures who urgently need to improve their performance to get the team on track. A new head coach is also being considered, with Louisville City coach Danny Cruz a possible candidate.

Market value and opportunities

In a league where the competition never sleeps, expectations for St. Louis CITY SC are high. The total market value of Major League Soccer is currently 1.26 billion euros. St. Louis CITY SC is in the midfield with a market value of around 36 million euros and an average player age of 26.2 years. This history of players shows that there is still room for improvement for the team when comparing its performance with other teams. Would you like an example? Inter Miami CF has well-known names in its squad and is considered one of the teams with the highest market values ​​in the league

If St. Louis can overcome the challenges of last season, next season could bring an exciting turnaround - and perhaps Marcel Hartel could also do his part. In the end, it remains to be seen whether the team can catch up again or whether the crisis is deeper than previously thought.

Russel and to America – what’s next for the kickers? The next match days will show it!