It didn’t take long for Eduard Löwen to assert himself as one of St. Louis CITY SC’s most valuable players. Despite his role as the club’s most important ball progressor, the midfield maestro’s 2024 season was one that he’s eager to move on from.
For a number of reasons.
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He missed a chunk of the preseason to return home to Germany to complete the green card process. A lingering hamstring injury only compounded his early-season frustrations. Then, his world stopped spinning when his wife, Ilona, was diagnosed with brain cancer.
“It was a really, really weird season,” he says.
Although his second year with CITY did not unfold how he would have planned, Löwen is—believe it or not—thankful. The opportunity to play in St. Louis is something that Löwen doesn’t take for granted, no matter how many challenges he navigated on and off the pitch in 2024.
”In the past, when I’ve said that this is home for us, I really meant it,” Löwen says. “In the past, when the season was over, the next day I was gone. But here, I’m going to be sticking around for a while because there is no reason for me to be gone.”
Löwen’s love for the city, for the fans, and for the club speaks volumes. That affection is something he leaned on to make it through the series of hurdles that popped up as the year progressed.
While in Germany during the preseason, Löwen missed being able to rely on his usual routine. As he waited on the green card process to play out, there weren’t opportunities for him to train at the same intensity as he would have experienced in St. Louis. Once he returned, Löwen had to catch up. As he ramped up in mid-February, he saw only limited minutes during the Concacaf Champions Cup—a competition in which CITY may have advanced with Löwen at full strength.
Then, of course, his wife’s diagnosis put everything in perspective. Löwen spent much of March and April away from the club to focus on his family and support Ilona’s fight.
The phrase, “We can remain joyful amidst the suffering,” was a guiding light for Löwen during his time away. All the while, he was thankful for the care he received from fans in St. Louis—as well as from his coaches and teammates.
“What we have here in St. Louis is really unique,” he said.
Now, Löwen is hoping to experience a far more enjoyable season in 2025, while helping the club usher in a new era under recently-appointed head coach Olof Mellberg. The new boss will have an experienced leader in Löwen—along with the rest of the leadership council—to help guide the transition.
The new faces aren’t limited to the coaching side of CITY’s operation. Löwen is now joined in St. Louis by fellow former German youth national team members Marcel Hartel, Cedric Teuchert, and—the most recent acquisition—Timo Baumgartl. Those additions should also help Löwen improve as much as his delivery helps them. Last year, as things went sideways for CITY, Löwen says he tried to do too much offensively. At the same time, he felt like he neglected the defensive side of his game. So for as much as Löwen has meant to CITY in two years, there are still things he can work on.
A new manager, new formation, and new teammates will keep 2025 fresh as CITY strives to start the campaign as strong as it finished 2024. As the club prepares to step up to the challenge, Löwen relishes the opportunity to bring success back to the city that has welcomed his family with open arms.
“We are very grateful that we can be here, be a part of this club, and a part of this city,” he says.
