Shortly after John Hackworth joined St. Louis CITY SC as its director of coaching in 2021, he embarked on a lengthy scouting mission with club brass to find the types of players who would fit with CITY’s preferred style of play.
Hackworth, now St. Louis’ interim head coach, didn’t have to travel far to find one particular player who seemed perfect for CITY soccer.
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At Saint Louis University that fall, Simon Becher was in the midst of an All-American campaign with the Billikens, which boasted a roster full of future MLS players under head coach Kevin Kalish. Goalkeeper Patrick Schulte, who is currently playing for the U.S. Olympic Men’s team, and Kipp Keller, now with FC Cinncinati, were among the players on that SLU squad, as was current CITY midfielder Johnny Klein. But to the discerning eyes of Hackworth, it was Becher who flashed some of the most intriguing potential.
“I wanted to try so hard to get him into our club,” Hackworth said. “It’s taken about three years to get him here, but I’m super excited about Simon being here.”
Back in St. Louis, Becher is eager to recapture some of the magic that made that 2021 SLU team so successful. He started Saturday’s match at CITYPARK after joining the team earlier in the week on loan from Danish First Division club AC Horsens, reuniting on the pitch with his former Billiken teammate Klein.
At SLU, Klein and Becher formed a partnership known as “Shake and Bake,” as both players found ways to use their strengths to complement each other. The official return of “Shake and Bake” came in the 68th minute of St. Louis’s 2-1 win over FC Dallas this past weekend. Although there wasn’t a goal contribution to come from their nine minutes together, the chemistry between Klein and Becher was instantly recognizable as they regenerated the press. If this duo, which combined for 10 goals directly together in 2021, can tap into their former magic, CITY will be better for it.
“Old habits, but good habits,” Becher said about returning to the pitch with his old friend. “It was fantastic. All the fans [Saturday] gave me a really warm embrace. I think I was on the other end of it last year when I was playing here, and that made it a lot more difficult. And I can tell you tonight it was a lot easier having them on our side. It was really good.
Becher started Saturday’s match at CITYPARK after a short turnaround from his preseason preparation in Denmark. Of course, Becher’s previous experience with battling the hot, humid conditions of a St. Louis summer helps in the acclimation process. And if Saturday is evidence, his hold-up play could become a critical piece of CITY SC’s new-look attack.
Becher’s role in the squad may also be larger than many realized after his acquisition.
CITY sporting director Lutz Pfannenstiel is on a mission to add more quality up and down the roster, and that means that Becher won’t simply slot in behind Klauss and recent addition Cedric Teuchert. Becher now seemingly has an opportunity to earn a starting job. His role may also help in elevating Klein, giving the midfielder more familiar movements as he presses hard late into matches.
For now, though, Becher will settle into his familiar surroundings.
Three years later, Becher is finally where CITY wanted him all along.
