After a year defined by disappointment, St. Louis City SC is attempting to find a new way to do things. It was a busy offseason for the club as they focused on a rebuild featuring a new Sporting Director, a new Head Coach, and a retooled roster. While San Diego defeated St. Louis 2-1 in their away match last season following a 0-0 draw in the home opener, San Diego is now looking to continue their home success by winning three games in a row at their home stadium. However, that goal will be a significant challenge against this new-looking St. Louis City squad.
New Leadership and Strategic Shift
In August of last year, St. Louis parted ways with Sporting Director Lutz Pfannenstiel. Pfannenstiel was the club’s first-ever Sporting Director and had been with the organization since its early beginnings. Under his leadership, City SC was noted for a great expansion season in 2023, where they finished first in the Western Conference with 56 points. Since that expansion peak, however, St. Louis has struggled with back-to-back 12th and 13th-place finishes in the conference.
On November 3rd, the club announced Corey Wray as the newest Sporting Director. Wray is well known for his successful tenures with Toronto FC, Columbus Crew, and CF Montreal. He served as the assistant General Manager for the Crew during their 2023 MLS Cup victory and has been part of organizations that have won MLS Cups, Supporters’ Shields, and Canadian Championships. Having worked with Wilfried Nancy at the Crew, Wray witnessed the success of a heavy-possession, attacking-focused style and it appears that he wants St. Louis to adopt that as part of their new approach.
A month after his own arrival, Wray hired Yoann Damet, who had been part of the Columbus Crew coaching staff since 2023. Damet also brings experience from stints at the LA Galaxy, LA Galaxy II, the United States U-20 team, and FC Cincinnati. Although Damet was considered a possible replacement for Wilfried Nancy after Nancy moved to Celtic in December, he instead chose the opportunity to work with Wray on this new project in St. Louis. Fans are looking closely at Damet’s experience, particularly his work with the U-20 team, which makes him a strong candidate for an organization trying to retool its academy and develop younger players.
A Retooled Roster
Damet will navigate this season with a roster that has undergone significant changes. During the offseason, the club declined the options for Alfredo Morales, Henry Kessler, and Akil Watts, all of whom had played over 1,000 minutes last season. Furthermore, in January, leading scorer Joao Klauss, who had 10 goals for City SC last season, was traded to the LA Galaxy for $2.375 million in cash. One key returning player is the Norwegian Conrad Wallem, who played over 2,400 minutes last season and recorded one goal and two assists.
To bolster the squad, the club brought in 22-year-old Daniel Edelman via a trade from the New York Red Bulls, 28-year-old Rafael Santos on a free transfer from the Colorado Rapids, and Dante Polvara on a transfer from Aberdeen FC. All three of these players started in the recent match against Charlotte FC. Additionally, St. Louis acquired central defender Mamadou Mbacke Fall on a permanent transfer from Barcelona. Fall originally signed with LAFC in 2021 before being loaned to the Las Vegas Lights and later to Spain’s Villarreal and Barcelona Atletic. Now back in MLS, Fall could make his St. Louis debut against San Diego FC.
Results Against Charlotte FC
St. Louis City matched up against Charlotte FC last Saturday, and the team’s attacking intent was evident from the opening kickoff. In the first half alone, St. Louis controlled 63% of possession and recorded 10 shots with three on target, resulting in an xG of 0.75. The lopsided nature of the half was further highlighted by St. Louis completing 112 passes in the opposition’s half compared to only 53 for Charlotte.
The breakthrough came at the hour mark when Jaziel Orozco dispossessed Wilfried Zaha at midfield and quickly passed to Daniel Edelman. Edelman then sent a through ball past two Charlotte players to Simon Becher, who assisted Marcel Hartel for the match’s first goal. Hartel had a very strong overall performance, finishing with four shots on target, three touches in the opposition box, and a 90% pass completion rate.
However, the lead did not last long, as St. Louis lost possession during a long throw-in during the 73rd minute, allowing Charlotte to counter. Zaha exchanged passes with David Schnegg before finding space to pass to Pep Biel, who scored the equalizer. It appeared that Edelman took a step too far toward Zaha, which opened the space behind him for the scoring pass. St. Louis finished the match with a 1.72 xG, 52% possession, and 22 total shots, with 11 on target and 7 coming from outside the box. The team also excelled at regaining possession, recording 17 interceptions and winning 43 duels. Overall, the squad looked like a different, more proactive team than the passive side seen a year ago.
San Diego FC News and Extensions
In other league news, San Diego FC has also been active with contract extensions. Sporting Director Tyler Heaps, who has been an integral part of this second-year team, signed a three-and-a-half-year extension. Heaps has been tasked with finding players who fit the club’s system and has shown a willingness to move on from those who don’t work out. Key young acquisitions like Luca Bombino and Manu Duah have played a major role in the backline, while veteran leaders like Anibal Godoy and Jeppe Tverskov have made the club a force in the West. Despite this, fans still criticize Heaps for the handling of local player Milan Iloski and the question marks surrounding Chucky Lozano. Heaps is hoping that their replacements like Marcus Ingvartsen, Lewis Morgan, Amahl Pellegrino, and Bryan Zamble will justify his analytical approach.
The club also extended goalkeeper Pablo Sisniega, who played in 10 matches last season and started four playoff games. Sisniega recorded a 77.8% save percentage in 2025 and performed solidly in a playoff penalty shootout against Portland. His extension runs through June 2027 with a club option for the following season. With CJ Dos Santos and Duran Ferree also signed through 2027, San Diego has secured its entire goalkeeping group for at least the next season, fostering what appears to be a very healthy competition for the starting job
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