St. Louis CITY (yes, you’re supposed to shout the all-caps part) has had a rough go of it following their inaugural season success in 2023. They exploded onto the scene, winning the Western Conference and making it to the playoffs in their expansion season.
After that, they plummeted, missing the playoffs for two consecutive seasons and starting 2026 by winning only one of their first 10 matches. Nobody was looking at CITY as a real contender as recently as this spring, even under Yoann Damet’s new leadership.
Then they made the comeback of the century.
The Streak
On May 9, St. Louis had won only a single game and was scrambling to turn things around. That night, they took to the pitch on the road in Colorado, and an early goal by former loon Sang Bin Jeong gave CITY the lead. They held on to win 1-0, and they simply have not stopped winning since.
They started racking up wins against some of the league’s toughest opponents — LAFC, Vancouver, and San Jose, to name a few — and easily secured their place in the U.S. Open Cup final, which they’ll play later this month.
On Matchday 30, their draw against best-in-the-West Vancouver set the league record for consecutive matches unbeaten across all competitions, a whopping 21 games in a row. They clinched their well-deserved playoff spot and came within a single point of the top of the West.
So far, they’ve tallied 51 points in 29 games and are rocking an impressive 14-6-9 (W-L-D) record and a +16 goal differential. They’ve proven that they can hold their own against just about anyone.
So What Changed?
For a lot of teams in MLS, this season has felt like two smaller seasons split up by the World Cup break in July. With the break coinciding with the transfer window, many clubs came back from that global soccer event looking like totally new teams, for better or for worse. We’ve seen it with the Philadelphia Union in the East, and we’re seeing it on an even higher level with St. Louis CITY dominating the West.
Most notably, the club picked up former Rapids striker Rafael Navarro this summer, whose consistent conversion and speed have already proven a massive asset. Since his arrival, he’s tallied seven goals and three assists, making him the club’s second-leading goal-scorer behind Simon Becher (9g/5a).
During that same summer transfer window, St. Louis parted ways with longtime favorite midfielders Marcel Hartel (transferred to Hannover 96) and Eduard Löwen (transferred to San Jose). Saying goodbye to two big-time beloved CITY staples was a major shake-up, but the club also gained a new DP in Carlo Holse from Turkish Süper Lig side Samsumspor.
Holse’s hat trick against the LA Galaxy earlier this month put him level with Hartel’s goal contributions in just six starts, and existing midfielders like Daniel Edelman and Dante Polvara have stepped up to combine for some stellar progression. Damet’s squad is navigating the changes like they’ve been playing together for ages.
These new additions have certainly boosted St. Louis’ level of play, but another large part of their success is that the team has seemed to finally settle into Damet’s new style farther into the season. His system showed some promise earlier in the season, but it took time, new additions, and the World Cup break for the club to really embrace those changes and soar to new heights.
With the attack on lock, St. Louis has settled into a high-possession playstyle, trusted their in-form defense and elite keeper Roman Bürki to hold down the fort, and become one of the most dynamic and consistent names in Major League Soccer. There’s no shortage of belief in this team from both inside and outside the club — the vibes are phenomenal, the fanbase is ecstatic, and every one of St. Louis’ remaining opponents are champing at the bit to be the ones to put this record streak to bed.
CITY takes on the Loons this Saturday at Allianz Field with an eye to stretch that record even farther. With Minnesota United fighting to break their winless streak and salvage a spot in the playoffs, there would be no better way to make a statement than playing spoiler for the league’s hottest team.
