City SC wants to keep its playoff hopes alive against LA Galaxy

The video screens in St. Louis City SC's locker room this week displayed two lists compiled by the coaching staff as they watched game film after the team blew a two-goal lead to a 4-4 tie with Portland on Saturday. One list is a list of things the team can do to help their cause, and the other is a list of things they shouldn't do. Look at any wall in the locker room, there you'll find a reminder.

“There are points that we did well,” said midfielder Marcel Hartel, who provided three assists in this game. “There are points that we didn't do so well in this game. And everyone can see how we want to play football, how we want to defend, how we want to play with the ball, and also some things off the field. Everyone can read it and do their best to implement it.”

“It's not just for this week. I think it's going to be on TV the rest of the season. So it's our benchmark, I say, for every game.”

A 4-4 draw with Portland, where they had to settle for one point instead of three when City SC needs every point it can get, is a high price to pay to internalize those lessons, but it's the best City SC can do right now. The team now faces one of its toughest tests of the season as it faces the Los Angeles Galaxy in its first home game since August 9 at 1:45 p.m. on Sunday at CityPark (Channel 2, free on Apple TV). The Galaxy are first in the Western Conference, second overall in the league, and could secure a playoff spot this weekend if one of many scenarios play out, all of which require a Galaxy win.

For City SC, the playoffs are still possible, but the scenarios are much simpler: they have to win almost every game. Last season, they needed 44 points in the West to make the playoffs. To get there, City SC has to win seven of its last eight games.

“We know that if we want to make the playoffs, we have to win most of the games now,” Hartel said, “and we'll start doing that on Sunday against LA.”

But the game against Portland was tough: City SC led by two goals, 2-0, 3-1 and 4-2, but could not finish the game.

“All we can do is move on and try to improve,” interim coach John Hackworth said. “(The film sessions) were tough. They were really honest. I would give the players a lot of credit for being proactive in working through issues with the coaching staff. So when we look at film, I don't just try to tell them to do it. 'Do this, do that.' It's 'What do you see?' And they made some really good points.”

City SC's attack has been overhauled over the past month with the addition of players such as Hartel, Cedric Teuchert and Simon Becher, but this week two of the old guard, Klauss and Rasmus Alm, are expected to return. Both have not played since June due to knee sprains and both will start on the bench in week one, but it gives Hackworth more attacking options than he has had since replacing Bradley Carnell in early July.

“Look, Simon has done an incredible job,” Hackworth said, “but before we had Simon, we had Nokkvi (Thorisson) playing in a wrong position as a nine (forward), and we didn't actually have a nine, so several players were asked to do that. Indiana (Vassilev) played as a nine at the end of the Portland game. Now we get Klauss back, then not only do we have a nine, but we have Klauss as well, and that will help us in a lot of ways because he's both a really good defender and attacker, whether it's set pieces, whether it's just the willingness to press, whether it's the willingness to run back, he definitely gives us a better defensive structure.”

Center back Joakim Nilsson is still at least a week away from returning to action, and Hackworth continues to hint at further changes to the back line. Jannes Horn could play at left back ahead of Jayden Reid, and Tomas Totland could slot into the right back line ahead of Jake Nerwinski or Akil Watts. With the team having allowed four goals in three of their last five MLS games, Hackworth has made strengthening the back line a priority.

Njabulo Blom could soon be leaving. The defensive midfielder has played in just one of the last seven games and is unlikely to be in the squad on Sunday. Hackworth said on Friday that the team is talking to another club about Blom.

The Galaxy were already one of the league's best teams, but they got a little better in the summer transfer window by signing Marco Reus, an attacking midfielder who played for Borussia Dortmund in Germany and had a goal and an assist on his debut last week. Reus was briefly linked to City SC as he was friends with City SC goalkeeper Roman Burki, who admitted he tried to recruit him, but City SC never really had a chance as Reus was interested in flashier markets than St. Louis.

“He's an incredible, incredible player,” said Hartel, who played against Reus in Germany. “He's one of the best players in Germany. We have to look after him. We have to put pressure on him so he doesn't do the magical things he can. And in the end, we have to defend as a team. We all have to defend, from the striker to the goalkeeper. We defend together. We should go together and defend our goal together. We can do it.”