In recent weeks, St. Louis CITY SC has been busy fixing its roster.
Now, the fruits of those efforts are beginning to show.
Are you a CITY SC fan?
Subscribe to the CITY Scene newsletter to get a fan’s guide to the pro soccer scene in St. Louis.
Cedric Teuchert, Marcel Hartel, and Jake Girdwood-Reich are each now in St. Louis, ready to help a club that needs more depth and firepower. For all three, the opportunity to earn meaningful playing opportunities in a city that loves its soccer provided a draw they couldn’t turn down.
Of the trio, Hartel was the last to arrive in St. Louis after waiting to obtain his visa. The 28-year-old midfielder said this week that once CITY sporting director Lutz Pfannenstiel pitched him on the club’s future, it was hard to walk away from the chance to play in St. Louis.
“I knew I wanted to come here after my initial conversation with Lutz,” Hartel said. “He made my decision very easy. I’ve seen the team in training and, for me, I see this team as being much better than the place we stand now.”
Hartel will be playing alongside Teuchert, a 27-year-old forward, for the second time in his career. The pair—along with midfielder Edu Löwen—grew close during their time in the German U21 program.
“And of course we played each other twice last season,” said Teuchert, whose former club Hannover 96 was a promotion rival Hartel’s St. Pauli side in recent months.
Teuchert and Hartel are part of a growing contingent of former Bundesliga players who are finding new homes in St. Louis. Teuchert said his connection with Löwen, along with Joakim Nilsson, helped sway his decision to join CITY.
“It was a very important contact for me,” Teuchert said. “It makes me very happy to see Edu again. I love this guy.”
For both Teuchert and Hartel, the recruitment process unfolded while CITY was still led by former head coach Bradley Carnell. They’ve since adjusted to interim boss John Hackworth, recognizing that they’ve joined a team that has underperformed expectations despite being in Year 2.
“It’s just the business,” Hartel said. “I’ll do my best to be a leader on the pitch and off the pitch.”
For Teuchert, who arrived around the time of Carnell’s ouster, the adjustment to St. Louis was initially a whirlwind.
“It was a busy first day.” Teuchert said. “I met the manager, toured the facilities, and about 30 minutes later, I met the interim manager.”
The good news is that it shouldn’t take long for all of the new arrivals to feel comfortable. All three men talked about their comfort in CITY’s system after playing similar styles at previous clubs. And best of all for St. Louis fans, these aren’t players aren’t projects. Teuchert and Hartel will be expected to make an immediate impact.
While the acquisitions of Teuchert and Hartel have received the most attention, Girdwood-Reich is also looking to make an impact on the back line. The 20-year-old Australian youth international made his debut last week against Sporting Kansas City and could not hold back his excitement at playing in front of the St. Louis fan base.
“Derby matches are what every player looks forward to,” Girdwood-Reich said. “I was involved in quite a few derbies in Australia and it’s always incredible. I got a good taste of it, but I’m ready to play here next weekend. The fans look incredible. It was another reason why I wanted to come here.”
With the arrivals of all three players, it’s a new era in St. Louis. The upcoming Leagues Cup tournament offers the club an opportunity to find itself and break in its new stars—even if the supporter boycott means a different energy as the club hosts FC Dallas and FC Juarez.
