Shortly before halftime on Wednesday night in Kansas City, Edu Löwen stood over a dangerous free kick, eager to break the stalemate in a pivotal rivalry match. Löwen had created goals from this scenario in the past, but with an unbeaten streak on the line and rumors of more roster changes swirling, the moment became a pressure cooker. Löwen stepped up and thwacked the ball, then pointed to the sky as it deflected off SKC midfielder Lasse Berg Johnsen and into the back of the net.
That decisive moment in a 1-1 derby draw extended the club’s record unbeaten streak to 11 matches, just days before a report from MLS insider Tom Bogert that Löwen will be traded to San Jose after contract extension talks with CITY stalled. The report came as a shock, even though Löwen’s status had been up in the air for some time.
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A CITY original, Löwen’s connection with fans grew to new heights earlier this season during his late wife Ilona’s battle with cancer. St. Louis’ first win of the season came on the same night that fans wore grey in Ilona’s honor. Yet Löwen had watched both his stats and minutes decline in manager Yoann Damet’s new-look system this season, and CITY had recently brought in former Columbus Crew spark plug Alexandru Mățan, as well as attacking midfielder Carlo Holse.
Initially, it seemed that CITY might wait until winter to decide Löwen’s future with the club, which had an option on his contract for 2027. After it became clear that extension talks wouldn’t resume until after the summer transfer window, however, Löwen asked the club to find him a long-term solution, according to Bogert and sources with knowledge of the situation.
The summer transfer window seems to have become more of a reset than anticipated. Just last month, sporting director Corey Wray spoke to the media following Holse’s unveiling. “We need time to settle and make a deeper assessment of how all these new pieces are going to fit together,” Wray said at the time. He then added, “There are always new challenges.” Those challenges have quickly presented themselves, with Marcel Hartel’s sudden exit. Then, contract talks with Löwen came to a head, leading to another monumental departure. (The international transfer window closes September 2 for Major League Soccer clubs, a day after the traditional European markets close.)
Yet the team continued to defy conventional logic on Saturday, beating the top-ranked Houston Dynamo and continuing a 12-match unbeaten streak. A bittersweet feeling swept through the post-match celebrations as Löwen joined his teammates one last time to thank the crowd and bang the drum in the North End before his teammates hoisted him into the air for one last goodbye. As the celebratory “St. Lou” bellowed through the stadium, Löwen’s presence was a cathartic feeling for the players as well.
“Edu is somebody that’s done so much for this, this club, in this community,” teammate Simon Becher reflected, shortly after his fourth goal in seven matches since the World Cup break. “It was nice to see him and have him around for us.”
Even as Löwen prepares to leave St. Louis, it’s clear that part of his legacy is how he’s helped prepare the next cycle of CITY players, such as Dante Polvara. “
He’s a great teammate, a great friend,” Polvara said. “He’s really helped me with my transition here. I could talk about him for an hour; he’s just a class individual on and off the pitch, and we’ve enjoyed our time together.”
