ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ

St. Louis City SC’s new offensive configuration, switching from having two center backs and a left and right back on either side to playing three center backs and having the left and right backs playing more forward as wings, has not boosted the team’s defense, which has yet to allow a goal in three games, but it’s boosted the spirits of the outside backs.

Tomas Totland played right back last season for City SC. Now, while still a defender, he’s able to play further up the field and he’s loving it.

“I'm feeling great. I’m enjoying the new formation,� Totland said Tuesday, “and being able to be up there where the ball is when we’re attacking and being able to start a bit higher when we win the ball.

“Last year, when I was a fullback, it’s a long way up when we win that ball, so this makes me come to more opportunities to get assists and goals. Last game, I had a pretty big one, but I’m enjoying it a lot.�

At this point, Totland stopped to laugh. The chance he was referring to came just before halftime against the Galaxy but he headed wide from close range. The chance had the highest expected goals total of any chance for City SC in the game, .75, about the same as a penalty kick. It was, statistically speaking, the best chance City SC had all game, even better that Cedric Teuchert’s shot from right in front of the goal. And don’t think Totland doesn’t know it; he volunteered the xG number.

“It was first of all, a great cross from Edu (Lowen),� he said. “but it was a little complicated because I had to get around Marco Reus and then get my body around the ball again. And then I headed the ball and it hit my shoulder on the way toward the goal. I actually thought in my head that it’s probably going to go in, even though it hit my shoulder, because I’m three meters away, but it was outside the post. Luckily it didn’t affect the game.�

But back on the subject of the formations, he likes what it means for the team’s offense as well

“You can press harder high up,� he said, “knowing that you have three center backs behind you. I’m a defender, but I’m also able now to be more of an attacker, which is my sort of play. We’ve been looking good these first three games with no goals conceded.�

Totland became a parent over the break, with he and his wife having a son, Noel, on Jan. 10.

“Thankfully my wife is doing a great job during the night so I can get seven or eight hours of sleep,� he said. “That helps a lot.�

Nilsson returns to practice

Joakim Nilsson rejoined the team for practice for the first time since the team returned from its California training camp. He did much, but not all, of City SC’s training session, which was lighter than most Tuesday sessions because of the Sunday game.

“Really nice to see him back,� said coach Olof Mellberg. “I think he felt OK after the session, so hopefully we can build on that.�

Another center back, Timo Baumgartl, made his debut on Sunday, coming on in the 85th minute against the Galaxy. It was Baumgartl’s first game action in almost a year, which is one of the reasons Mellberg has been bringing him along slowly. But now that Baumgartl has played, it increases his chances for more.

“Yeah, it’s possible,� Mellberg said. “We have a lot of center backs, and with Joakim coming back as well, and they’re all doing well, both in training and in games, so it’s nice to have those options.�

Klauss back in starting lineup

After not being in the starting lineup against San Diego, a game in which City SC produced next to no offense, designated player Klauss was back in the starting lineup on Sunday. While Simon Becher, Cedric Teuchert and Marcel Hartel, the top three on the team in goals per 90 minutes last season, all got their first goals of the season, Klauss didn’t, but he came about as close as you can, putting a ball off the post.

“He did well,� Mellberg said. “so close to scoring, unfortunately, centimeters from scoring. It’s always nice to get our strikers scoring, which we did on Sunday, unfortunately not in Klauss’ case, but hopefully it will come.�

Klauss may not be scoring, but add Mellberg to the list of City SC coaches who like what Klauss does even when he's not scoring.

“It’s so important to us that are strikers are strong in that target play, second balls,� he said. “I think we can improve a lot there. In the game on Sunday, we didn’t manage to get in control of enough second balls or the target play in general, but on the occasions when we did that well, he did that well. We saw how the dangerous attacks we created, the out-of-bounds situation on the right-hand side, he was really tight and he managed to get out of that. So something that we’re working on to be really strong in those tight situations from our strikers, but all over the pitch.�

Burki named player of the week

Roman Burki’s eight-save performance against the Galaxy earned him MLS player of the matchday honors. He’s the second player in club history to take the award, the other being Klauss for this two-goal performance against Sporting Kansas City in September of 2023. MLS voters tend to prefer goalscorers to goal stoppers for player of the week honors; Burki is just the third goalkeeper since the start of 2022 to take the award. The others were Aljaz Ivacic of New England (Matchday 19, 2024) and Dayne St. Clair of Minnesota (Matchday 3, 2022).

Burki and Cedric Teuchert made the team of the matchday.

Notes

Seattle, City SC’s opponent on Saturday, was knocked out of the CONCACAF Champions Cup on Tuesday night with a 4-1 loss to Cruz Azul in Mexico City. Needing just a tie to advance, Seattle gave up a goal early and then gave up three goals in the final 20 minutes as it pushed for the equalizer. … While City SC was beating MLS Cup champ Galaxy 3-0, City2 was beating MLS Next Pro Cup champ North Texas. City2 got an own goal and goals from Brendan McSorley and Miguel Perez. All four of City SC’s Homegrown players, Perez, Caden Glover, Mykhi Joyner and Tyson Pearce, were in the starting lineup for City2. … Three players from St. Louis, forward Josh Sargent, defender Tim Ream and goalkeeper Patrick Schulte were among the 23 players selected for the U.S. roster for the CONCACAF Nations League semifinals