Since hosting the Seattle Sounders in mid-March, things haven’t gone well for St. Louis City.
St. Louis will look to snap a six-match winless streak (0-4-2) when it travels to the Pacific Northwest for a match against the Sounders on Saturday night.
St. Louis (2-4-4, 10 points) hasn’t won since that March 15 encounter, when the hosts came away with a 1-0 decision as Eduard Lowen scored on a free kick from 25 yards out in the 15th minute and goalkeeper Ben Lundt recorded his first MLS shutout and victory.
It appeared the streak would come to an end last weekend at Los Angeles FC, when an own goal in the 89th minute gave 10-man St. Louis — Alfredo Morales was sent off after receiving his second yellow card in the 83rd — a one-goal lead. But LAFC’s Denis Bouanga scored his second of the match in second-half stoppage time for a 2-2 draw.
“We’ve got to continue with this fighting spirit, this will to win,” St. Louis coach Olof Mellberg said. “We’ve got to keep that going and try to improve on the ball. Hopefully, we’ll start to get wins.”
Lundt made seven saves for St. Louis, including stopping Bouanga on a penalty kick in the 74th minute.
“We played against a very good opponent (in LAFC) and were so close to getting three points away,” St. Louis midfielder Marcel Hartel said. “There are a lot of (positive) things we can take over to our next game at Seattle.”
The Sounders (3-3-4, 13 points) are riding a three-match unbeaten streak (2-0-1).
With franchise scoring leader Jordan Morris sidelined due to a hamstring injury, Danny Musovski has scored in each of the past three matches, including a 1-1 draw last weekend at Colorado.
“With Jordan being out, it’s given me an opportunity, and I just want to fill his shoes as best I can,” Musovski said. “So I feel like I’ve done a pretty good job doing that.”
Morris subbed on for Musovski at the intermission last week but had to leave in second-half stoppage time after aggravating the injury. The Sounders announced Thursday that Morris would miss the next six weeks.
“It’s the same spot (as the previous injury), and that’s what they’re concerned about,” Sounders coach Brian Schmetzer said of the team’s medical staff.
–Field Level Media
