Monday Morning Apathy

Monday Morning Apathy Has Entered the Chat: St. Louis CITY SC went to Austin on Sunday afternoon for what was supposed to be one of those “beatable opponent” games and lost 2-0, because apparently the word “beatable” was being used in the self-reflective sense. Austin is not a powerhouse. This was not a trip to LAFC, Columbus, Miami, or some soccer death machine with a fog horn and a payroll. This was Austin. A team we looked at on paper and said, “Yeah, this is winnable.” Then CITY spent 90 minutes reminding us that paper is flammable.

The Lineup Was Interesting, Which Is a Nice Way of Saying Concerning: The good news was Eduard Löwen got the start. Love that. After his impact against Chicago in the Open Cup, he earned it. CITY needs his calm, his creativity, and his general “adult in the room” energy. The surprise was Miguel Perez starting for Edelman, apparently because Edelman needed a rest. Fine. Rest happens. But then Wallem started again, and that is where my soul briefly left my body, looked at the lineup, and said, “You guys keep doing this?” I know he did not singlehandedly lose this game, but at this point the Wallem starting experience feels less like a tactical decision and more like touching the stove because maybe this time fire is different.

This Was Supposed to Be Winnable: We said it on the podcast. Austin was not some terrifying opponent. The season stats were relatively even in a lot of areas, except for the small detail that Austin had more wins, which, unfortunately, is still how sports keep score. But this was the exact kind of match where CITY needed to show growth. Take the Open Cup win in Chicago, bring that confidence into MLS play, stop conceding first, put pressure on a beatable team, and dictate the game. Instead, CITY came out like a team that had accidentally opened the wrong app.

Four Minutes In, Bürki Was Already Working Overtime: The match was barely old enough to order off the kids’ menu and Austin was already exposing CITY on the counter. In the 4th minute, Bürki had to come up huge with a big save. Then, still in the 4th minute, the offside trap failed and Austin had another chance, which they thankfully wasted with a bad shot. By the 7th minute, Austin missed an easy one from inside the six. That should have been a goal. So before CITY had even really settled in, Austin had already created enough danger for everyone watching to start quietly Googling “stress symptoms.”

Bürki Was the Only Reason This Game Didn’t Get Ugly Early: Roman Bürki was the best CITY player by a mile, and that is usually not a good sign unless you are running a goalkeeper appreciation podcast. In the 21st minute, Austin had an uncontested header right in front of goal, and Bürki made himself huge to keep it out. Then in the 40th minute, after CITY finally applied pressure and almost created something, Austin immediately countered and Bürki had to bail everyone out again. He was not just good. He was emergency-services good. If CITY had a suggestion box after the match, Bürki’s note would just say: “Please stop making me save your entire afternoon.”

CITY Had Moments, Which Somehow Makes It More Annoying: Hartel put a decent shot on goal in the 10th minute, but it was a straightforward save. Löwen had a great chance in the 12th with the outside of his foot, but put it just high and wide. That one needed to be a goal, or at least force a desperate save. Löwen has been hot lately and obviously has dealt with personal tragedy, so there is a human side to his rhythm and form. But purely on the soccer side, that chance was there. In the 26th, CITY tried a creative short corner to the near post, Becher put it on goal, but Austin’s keeper was ready. In the 38th, Perez hit a good shot, but again, too easy for the keeper. CITY was not completely dead, but every chance felt like it came with a built-in “terms and conditions apply.”

Austin Had One Called Back, Because Even the Soccer Gods Were Trying to Help: In the 35th minute, Austin scored, but it was called back for an obvious handball, and the Austin player picked up a yellow. That was a gift. Another warning. Another chance for CITY to say, “Okay, maybe we should stop letting Austin walk into our house and rearrange the furniture.” But no. CITY kept the match scoreless at half, mostly because Bürki was excellent, Austin missed chances, and the post apparently filed paperwork to become an honorary center back.

The Halftime Read Was Weird, But Familiar: The stats favored Austin at the half, but somehow CITY had better odds to win the match. Betting odds favored CITY. Maybe that was because Austin had given up the most goals in MLS after the 75th minute, and the models expected CITY to hang around and punish them late. That made sense in theory. Unfortunately, CITY’s finishing in theory is much better than CITY’s finishing in reality, and reality is where they make us watch the games.

Then Came the 56th Minute, Also Known as the Entire Problem in One Play: This was the match. Austin gave the ball away badly, and Hartel was suddenly clear from midfield with Becher alongside him. A 2-on-0. Not a 2-on-1. Not a tough angle. Not a half chance. A 2-on-0 with only the goalkeeper in the way. This is not just a good chance. This is the kind of chance where every youth coach in America starts yelling “SQUARE IT” before the ball even crosses midfield. Hartel made the pass too heavy. Becher could not put it on goal. Failure from both players. Embarrassing from both players. That has to be a goal. Ten-year-olds score that 10 out of 10 times in practice, including the one wearing untied cleats and thinking about postgame snacks.

That Miss Was Not Just a Miss, It Was an Audit: The 56th minute was not just one wasted chance. It was a full organizational review of CITY’s attacking ineptitude. This team cannot score first. This team cannot dictate games. This team cannot take the one golden moment an opponent hands them and turn it into control. They keep waiting for the perfect sequence, and when the perfect sequence arrives wrapped in a bow with a little card that says “please score now,” they somehow misplace the receipt. Typical CITY. The door opens, and they trip over the threshold.

Of Course Austin Punished Them: In the 69th minute, Austin scored. Because of course they did. It came after a corner opportunity where the ball was played back out near the 18, CITY could not reset quickly enough, and Austin floated one into the six. This time Bürki could not react in time. Austin 1, CITY 0. And there it was again: CITY conceding first. Again. Again again. Again to the point where it is no longer a trend, it is basically branded content. We used to ask, “Why does CITY keep conceding first?” Now it feels like part of the broadcast package. “Kickoff, early pressure, CITY misses a chance, opponent scores first, cut to fans questioning their life choices.”

Conceding First Is Becoming the Brand: This is the part that should scare everyone. It is not just that CITY gave up the first goal in Austin. It is that it keeps happening. When you never score first, you almost never get to control the game. You do not force opponents to chase. You do not dictate tempo. You do not make teams uncomfortable. You spend the match climbing uphill, opening yourself up to counters, and hoping your attack can suddenly become clinical under pressure, which is like hoping your toddler handles tax season. CITY is living in a permanent comeback state, except they are not actually good enough at comebacks to make that a business model.

There Was a Small Push, Because Pain Likes Variety: In the 75th minute, CITY had a chance. Hartel hit it low and hard, which is what we have been begging for, and Austin cleared it. Then CITY had some decent possession and buildup. Córdova got a good shot, but the Austin keeper was up to it. So yes, there were moments. There were little flickers. But it never felt like CITY had grabbed the match by the throat. It felt more like CITY tapped the match on the shoulder and asked if maybe it had time for a quick chat.

Then the 81st Minute Dagger Made Everyone Stop Pretending: Austin’s second goal came after CITY got exposed on the counter from a bad corner attempt. The recovery effort was not good enough. Baumgartl especially stood out for not getting back with enough urgency. Austin made it look easy, and that was that. 2-0. Game over. There was no sense that CITY had a comeback in them. No roar. No surge. No “wait, maybe.” Just the emotional equivalent of closing the laptop without saving.

The Final Stats Say Close Game, My Eyes Say Knock It Off: The stat sheet shows Austin with 10 shots and CITY with 11. Austin had 5 shots on target, CITY had 4. Austin had 58% possession, CITY had 42%. Austin completed 458 passes at 89%, CITY completed 367 at 87%. CITY had more corners, 6 to 4, and somehow committed 20 fouls. So no, the box score does not scream domination. But the game felt clear enough: Austin had the better dangerous moments, Austin punished their chances, and CITY once again failed to take the moment that could have changed everything. The box score says it was competitive. My blood pressure says Austin was the adult in the room.

At Least the Subs Came Earlier, I Guess: CITY made some earlier changes this time. M. Fall and Córdova came on in the 59th. F. Fall and Joyner came on in the 73rd. McSorley came on in the 87th and had a nice shot in the 88th. So yes, credit where credit is due: Damet did not wait until the match was already in a coffin being lowered into the ground. The problem is that the changes did not change the match enough. Earlier subs are good. Not playing like soup before them is also recommended.

Nobody Was Good Enough Except Bürki: Bürki was excellent. He kept CITY alive. Without him, this could have gotten ugly early. Löwen starting was good, but he missed the big 12th-minute chance and did not quite have the sharpness we saw in Chicago. Hartel was involved, as always, but the 2-on-0 failure is unforgivable. Becher has to put that chance on goal. Perez had a decent shot but did not control the midfield. Wallem started again, and I still do not understand why we are so committed to this experiment. Totland was not as impactful as he had been recently. Córdova had a decent look. Joyner got earlier minutes but did not flip the game. McSorley had a nice late shot. Baumgartl’s recovery on the second goal was not good enough. That is the review: Bürki good, everyone else somewhere between “meh” and “please explain yourself.”

The Forward Situation Is a Problem, and We Can Stop Pretending: Becher, Córdova, Teuchert, rotate the names however you want, the output is not good enough. CITY does not have a reliable scoring presence. They do not have a killer. They do not have someone who turns half chances into goals or obvious chances into automatic goals. And when the midfield does create the moment, the forwards do not finish it. The 56th-minute 2-on-0 was not a fluke. It was the symptom. This attack has plenty of motion, plenty of effort, plenty of “almost,” and not nearly enough murder. Soccer-wise, I mean. Calm down, lawyers.

So, Do We Sell Everybody and Start Over?: Emotionally, yes. Put the entire roster on Facebook Marketplace with the description: “lightly used, struggles to score first, pickup only.” Rationally, no. You do not sell everybody. But the idea is not crazy in spirit, because the current core is not producing enough. This team needs a serious roster audit, not a motivational poster. Bürki, Hartel, Löwen, probably Durkin, maybe Totland in the right role, a few young pieces worth developing, those are building blocks. But the attacking group? The wide options? The backline depth? The “maybe this guy finally figures it out” category? That needs a ruthless review. Not sentimental. Not “he works hard.” Not “he had one good moment three weeks ago.” Output. Fit. Ceiling. If they do not help CITY score first, control games, or close games, why are we building around them?

The Harsh Truth Is CITY Does Not Dictate Games: That is the biggest issue. Good teams impose themselves. CITY reacts. CITY chases. CITY waits for chaos. CITY needs Bürki to keep them alive, Hartel to invent something, Löwen to calm everyone down, and the opponent to make a mistake. That is not a game model. That is a group project where one kid did the whole PowerPoint in the car. Against Austin, CITY had a chance to dictate a winnable match. Instead, Austin set the tone early, Austin had the better chances, Austin scored first, and Austin killed the game on the counter.

This Was a Beatable Team, Which Makes It Worse: If CITY got smoked by a top-tier MLS team, fine. Not fun, but fine. But Austin was there. Austin gave chances. Austin made mistakes. Austin was not unbeatable. CITY simply was not sharp enough, clinical enough, or composed enough to make them pay. That is how you end up losing 2-0 in a match where you technically had more shots and more corners. It is the most CITY kind of loss possible: just enough evidence to say “we had chances,” not enough quality to deserve anything.

Apathy Is Dangerous, and We Are Getting There: The San Jose loss made me furious because CITY had the statement win and blew it. This Austin loss feels different. It feels flatter. More annoying than shocking. More “yeah, that tracks” than “how could this happen?” And that is worse. Anger means belief was still alive enough to be wounded. Apathy is when you start watching the match like a man monitoring a crockpot. You still care, obviously. You are still there. But deep down, you are not surprised when it turns into soup.

The Open Cup Still Matters, But MLS Needs Proof of Life: The win in Chicago was fun. Löwen and Joyner changed that game. CITY advanced. Houston at home in the Open Cup quarterfinal is a real opportunity. That is still worth caring about. But MLS play cannot keep looking like this. You cannot hang your whole season on “maybe we get hot in the Cup” while the league form continues to wobble around like a patio chair with one bad leg. The Houston match gives CITY a trophy path. Great. Take it seriously. But the league needs proof of life too, and Austin was a chance to show it. They did not.

Final Thought: CITY lost 2-0 to Austin because they could not score first, could not finish the must-score chance, could not dictate the match, and could not stop getting exposed in transition. Bürki kept them alive until the rest of the team finally ran out of excuses. This was not a disaster because Austin is amazing. It was a disaster because Austin was beatable, and CITY still looked like a team waiting for someone else to solve the problem.

Monday Morning Verdict: No, you do not literally sell everybody and start from scratch. But yes, the front office needs to act like almost everything is up for review. This team does not need a tweak. It needs a spine, a scorer, and a plan that does not require conceding first and then hoping the soccer gods get bored. Keep the real building blocks. Be ruthless with the passengers. And for the love of toasted ravioli, find someone who can finish a 2-on-0.

City SC Posse Mood: Frustrated. Numb. Still watching. Slowly becoming a man who says “at least Bürki was good” every Monday until the end of time.