CITY vs Seattle: The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly

By Cole Sutton

@CSuttonCITY

CITY's remarkable start to the 2025 season continued this weekend at Energizer Park. The Boys in Red became only the third team in MLS history—joining the 2007 New York Red Bulls and the 2012 Vancouver Whitecaps—to begin a campaign with four consecutive clean sheets. The 1-0 victory against the Seattle Sounders was also a historic moment for St. Louis, marking their first-ever win against the two-time MLS Cup champions after entering the matchup with an 0-4 record against them.

The narrative surrounding CITY's second home match of the season shifted dramatically about an hour before kickoff when it was announced that Ben Lundt would start in goal instead of captain Roman Bürki. While Bürki's absence wasn't initially included in the player availability report, it was later revealed that the Swiss goalkeeper had fractured his hand during Friday's training session. Though the backline stepped up admirably, Bürki had been instrumental in CITY's defensive success through the first three matches.

Despite the absence of their captain, the Boys in Red responded brilliantly, securing their second straight victory while maintaining their clean sheet streak. Here's a breakdown of The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly from CITY's home win on Saturday night.

The Good

Honorable Mention: Returns from Injury

CITY welcomed back two key players against the Sounders as Tomas Ostrák and Joakim Nilsson made their season debuts in the second half.

First, Ostrák entered around the 67th minute replacing Tomas Totland who appeared to be struggling with a possible injury. The midfielder hadn't played for CITY since May of last year after suffering an ankle injury that required surgery. It was great to see a new face in the midfield and with plenty of versatility I think we could see Ostrák plug-in well into the new formation and tactics Olof Mellberg has brought to the squad.

Followed by Joakim Nilsson just before stoppage time, the Swedish defender who had been plagued by knee injuries and rehab setbacks, has only played 337 minutes since last July. The CITY faithful greeted him with a roaring ovation in what was his first regular-season appearance since playing the full 90 minutes in the 4-1 loss to Minnesota last October.

Eduard Löwen

After netting a stunning free-kick golazo from outside the area, Eduard Löwen was an obvious inclusion in The Good category. However, beyond his goal, Löwen also excelled in midfield, orchestrating CITY's offensive buildup with his usual composure.

According to FotMob, Löwen completed 28 of 31 passes (90% accuracy) and played a crucial role in advancing the ball up the pitch while also maintaining possession under pressure.

Although he was subbed off in the 62nd minute for Alfredo Morales, Löwen made his presence felt defensively as well, recording two interceptions and three recoveries. Head coach Olof Mellberg has made it a habit to substitute Löwen after about an hour, allowing Morales to gain valuable minutes in the defensive midfield role while also keeping Löwen fresh for the long MLS season and midweek U.S. Open Cup fixtures.

Löwen's ability to create chances from set pieces continues to be a game-changer for CITY, with his 25-yard game-winning free-kick against Seattle earning him Man of the Match honors.

Henry Kessler

Week after week Henry Kessler continues to impress and Saturday was no exception. While Löwen scored the game's only goal and Lundt secured the clean sheet, Kessler was my pick for Man of the Match. The former New England Revolution defender was everywhere in his 100th MLS start, intercepting passes, cutting off dangerous Seattle attacks, and maintaining excellent communication with his fellow center-backs and the rest of the defensive line. While Bürki's heroics and CITY's defensive cohesion have been standout factors in the club's shutout streak, Kessler's individual performances have played a massive role as well. According to CITY's official match log, Kessler has played every minute of the 2025 season so far, recording 210 touches and 16 clearances through four games. With Joakim Nilsson returning to full fitness, the backline will have some competition for spots—but one thing is clear: Kessler isn't going anywhere.

The Bad

Cedric Teuchert

Surprisingly, Teuchert was one of the few players who didn't impress on Saturday. Following an excellent performance against the LA Galaxy, where he scored his first goal of the season and showed great chemistry with Hartel and Klauss, Teuchert struggled to make an impact against Seattle.

In 62 minutes of action, he completed only five passes and registered a combined xG + xA of 0.01, indicating a lack of offensive involvement. More importantly, he didn't pass the eye test either, contributing minimally to the link-up play aside from a couple of decent through balls to Totland around the 28th and 53rd minutes.

This was the second time this season that Teuchert has had an underwhelming performance, the first being CITY's lackluster draw in San Diego. Meanwhile, Simon Becher looked lively in a limited role off the bench, continuing to impress through four games.

While I don't think Becher is in line to take over as the starting striker just yet, Mellberg has shown a willingness to rotate his squad. If Teuchert doesn't bounce back soon, we might see Becher earning more minutes at his expense.

The Ugly

CITY's Goalkeeper Uncertainty

CITY's injury update regarding Bürki stated that he would "see a hand specialist in the near future to further diagnose the severity of the injury and determine a recovery timeline."

Although backup goalkeeper Ben Lundt secured a clean sheet, Seattle rarely tested him, managing just one shot on target out of 12 total attempts. While Lundt and Christian Olivares could be solid options for midweek cup matches, relying on them long-term in MLS play could be a concern.

Head coach Olof Mellberg addressed the injury in his postgame press conference:

"It happened yesterday in training. I was actually standing just a few yards away, and I saw it happen in the moment. We were playing small-sided games. It was a wobbling shot that took him by surprise—he just threw out his hand as a reflex. He wasn't really prepared for it. I saw it immediately and asked if it was his finger or the joint, and he said the joint. But he continued training, so we didn't think it was too bad. Unfortunately, there is a small fracture."

Mellberg also revealed that the club didn't learn of Bürki's official injury status until early Saturday morning. While CITY supporters will be anxiously awaiting further updates, one silver lining is that the injury happened early in the season rather than during a crucial cup or playoff run.

Up Next

CITY faces a massive test next weekend, traveling northeast to take on former manager Bradley Carnell and his Philadelphia Union squad. The Union have been dominant in their first three matches, winning all three by multiple goals, and currently sitting atop the Eastern Conference.

It's a matchup filled with storylines, and CITY will need to be at their best to keep their clean sheet streak alive against one of MLS's most in-form teams.