St. Louis CITY SC (4-6-4) v. kansas (3-9-2) Thursday, July 16, 2026, 7:30 PM (CT) St. Louis, Energizer Park Apple TV, radio Here is the MLS match info for our match. CITY 4-6-4, 16 Points, 1.14 PPG, 16 GF, 20 GA, net -4, Form DLLLWDDLLLWWDW CITY home 3-2-1, 10 Points, 1.67 PPG, 11 GF, 7 GA, net +4, Form DLWLWW CITY away 1-4-3, 6 Points, 0.75 PPG, 5 GF, 13 GA, net-8, Form LLDDLLWD kansas 3-9-2, 11 Points, 0.79 PPG, 14 GF, 36 GA, net -22, Form LDLWLLLLLDLWWL kansas home 1-4-2, 5 Points, 0.71 PPG, 9 GF, 14 GA, net -5, Form DLLLDWL kansas away 2-5-0, 6 Points, 0.86 PPG, 5 GF, 22 GA, net -17, Form LWLLLLW This is CITY’s season re-opener and home re-opener after an eternity the World Cup break. This gap allowed injured players to heal, tired players to rest, coaches time to evaluate the team on a deeper level, and the front office time to make contacts to address needs. The question is whether the gap will stop CITY’s momentum heading into the break. Unlike CITY, kansas couldn’t get to the break fast enough. Their first part of the season has a net goal number that looks like a winter day in Siberia and a road form that looks like the name of a Welsh village. Their questions are whether the break helped them find some answers for their AWOL defense and how they will handle the rest of a season where they don’t get to play the Galaxy again. Because of the long break, this match likely will play more like an early season match with rusty players coming out of spring training and less like a mid-season match with better conditioned players. The match officials will be coming out of the long break as well, and the already sus MLS officiating may be even more *interesting* than usual. Discuss.
Head-to-head regular season record. CITY against kansas is 3-2-3, 12 Points, 1.50 PPG, 18 GF, 12 GA, net +6, Form WLWDDWLD. CITY at home against kansas is 3-0-1, 10 Points, 2.50 PPG, 13 GF, 4 GA, net +9, Form WWWD. CITY away against kansas is 0-2-2, 2 points, 0.50 PPG, 5 GF, 8 GA, net -3, Form LDDL. Here is the placeholder for the MLS Game Guides for our match. This may be updated through the matchday.
kansas has made some early moves, including Moises Mosquera. I watched Mosquera play and train when FC Juarez came to town a few years ago, and I was hugely impressed. He was someone who I remember wishing we could sign. kansas obviously has some other big moves in the offing, but for the most part this will be teams from before the break. All I heard pre-break was how tough our schedule was and that was the excuse for why we started so poorly. Now our next 3 are kansas (11pts and 15th in the west) at home, at the Galaxy (20 points from 1 more game played and the last playoff spot) who will be without Klauss and Pec, and surely they won't have replacements ready to go for that game, and then Colorado (level with us with 16 points having played a game more) at home. Whether Wray gets his act together or not, if we fancy ourselves a playoff team, this needs to be 9 from 9. Looking forward to getting back to the stadium to watch Damet and co, and looking forward to some signings that signal the ownership and front office will quite literally put their money where there mouth is!
Disciplinary Report. St. Louis CITY SC. Suspended: Chris Durkin (YC accumulation). YC Caution (one YC away from suspension): none. kansas. Suspended: none. YC Caution (one YC away from suspension): none. Very early weather forecast. Partly cloudy, humid, low 90s at kickoff, mid 80s by match end, heat index high 90s throughout, very little breeze mostly from the south, little chance of rain.
Someone needs to press Damet about what happened with the Durkin appeal of his last yellow. That should have been a foregone conclusion that that would be rescinded but it sounds like we messed up the administrative process (if true, that is unacceptable).
PRO's Assignments: Center Referee Allen Chapman, ARs Logan Brown and Andrew Bigelow, Fourth Official Fotis Bazakos. VAR Edvin Jurisevic, AVAR ??? Updated weather forecast. Humid/sauna, mid 80s at kickoff, low 80s by match end, heat index low 90s throughout, very little breeze mostly from the SSW, isolated thunderstorms late afternoon and early evening, maybe ending shortly before the scheduled kickoff.
MLS is having a bit of a rough rollout of information for this matchday. Today's first big news is that we now know the identity of our AVAR, Jonathan Johnson. I know we've all been holding our collective breath waiting for this announcement.
Combined Disciplinary Summary and Player Availability report. St. Louis CITY SC. Suspended: Chris Durkin (YC Accumulation). Out (illness or injury): Celio Pompeu. Out (not due to injury): none. Questionable: none. YC Caution: none. kansas. Suspended: none. Out (illness or injury): Diego Borges, Taylor Calheira, Justin Reynolds. Out (not due to illness or injury): none. Questionable: none. YC Caution: none. We still don't have info on the Apple TV broadcast crew for our match.
We have broadcast teams! Little by little, we're getting the info for this match. Broadcast Teams. Apple TV and radio. Apple TV English language: Nate Bukaty and Devon Kerr. Apple TV Spanish language: Diego Pessolano and Daniel Chapela. Radio English language, 98.1 FM, Joey Zanaboni and Dale Schilly (available by online streaming or through Apple TV). Spanish language, 102.9 FM, Santiago Beltran and Hector Vega (available by online streaming).
Some of tonight's MLS matches are being postponed or considered for postponement because of the wildfire smoke. Chicago-Vancouver is postponed. Our match is looking good. AQIs are 39-49 in the city right now.
This might be unpopular but if we are selling Burki, that is the right move from a roster construction standpoint. But, if that is the play here, Wray is ramping up the pressure on himself to deliver 2 quality DPs!
Overall we started the worst that I have seen us play. Lowen in particular had a rough start. The goal settled us and we are the better team, but we need to finish the job. I was skeptical of MacNaughton starting, but he was solid in the first half. They didn’t show replays in the stadium but at first blush I thought Lundt should have done better.
Just got back from the game. Some impressions: It's 3 points. Some messy play by both sides; just as poster Fortcollins said might transpire in his set-up, pre-game narrative. The boys in red appeared to have better stamina than England showed yesterday. Hometowner Perez to me was a good sub and, in my opinion, played well. It's 3 points.
Lundt, yikes! Miggy coming on pushed Lowen up into the R10 position, and he impacted the game immediately in that role. He needs to stay up there. Polvara is a beast! Mbacke not even making the matchday squad over Hiebert...that "Incomplete" grade I gave on him earlier is going to quickly turn into an F. I'm not buying what Damet was saying about there being concerns over Burki's fitness and being able to play 90 minutes. I have never heard a coach make that comment about a GK in my life! Maybe Burki won't be sold, but there is more to this. It might be a discipline issue, or something else, but there is a something else. Jay Reid proves why we let him go...see you never! If Becher's shot is on target and it's a handball, surely it's a red card, no?
Polvara and Edelman have been fantastic acquisitions. I liked Polvara's directness in fixing positioning. That's the on-the-pitch leadership we've been missing since Indy left. Edu is back, and he did exactly what we needed on the PK. MacNaughton showed why he took the starting role. He still needs development, but he reads plays very well. Hartel is superb. Our two goals from the run of play showed what Damet is building. We definitely aren't there yet, but we're heading in a good direction. With the right acquisition up top, Becher can be effective. We were missing Durkin on some plays. With him back next match, we should be more effective with midfield connections. (We weren't bad. We just could be better.) The first kansas goal was just a great shot, and nothing's stopping that one. Their second goal was total cringe from Lundt. I like some of the fire I'm seeing in the match. The last couple years, surrendering the lead would have cost us three. I had a fart different vibe from the team yesterday. This team looks like it can claw and scratch its way to three points. With WWDWW in the last five, this team is coming around. There are miles to go, but I really do like the direction we're heading.
Yep. *shrug* It's Chapman, He's always been reluctant to issue cards. The thing I like about the play is that he communicated with VAR right away and took a good long look at the video. He didn't hesitate to overturn his own call. We were two-for-two with VAR, and I can't remember the last match where that happened.
This video from the second VAR check is making the rounds. It will become an all-time CITY classic. Enjoy.
The PRO refsplainers have weighed in on the kansas handball in the box and the resulting decisive PK. Here's the video that VAR watched: Here's PRO's gold medal refsplaining:in The Definitive Angle: Outcome: After review, Kansas City #23 [Ethan Bartlow] committed a punishable handball offense inside the penalty area. The final decision was a penalty kick [to St. Louis CITY]. Length of Review: 3:18 PRO’s opinion: When the ball comes off another part of the body, clearly changes direction, and then goes to the hand or arm, it is seen as a successful block, and it is not a handball offense unless there is a secondary action/movement. However, if the ball does not clearly change direction and continues on the same trajectory before going to the hand or arm, then it will still be a handball offense if the arm is making the body unnaturally bigger. In this situation with Bartlow (SKC), the ball first strikes his chest; however, it is not clear if the ball was still going towards the goal, and it is possible that the defender successfully blocked the ball with his chest. Therefore, PRO would have preferred that a review was not recommended. Baloney. The kansas player had his arm moving well away from his body toward the ball, in the box, on a shot. The ball changed direction. If kansas and PRO don't want PKs then don't have players reaching for the moon to contact a ball in flight inside the box.
We have been due some questionable VAR decisions…those are the ones that always go against us and never for us.