Eduard Löwen might just be a true Midwesterner at heart.
While tornado sirens wailed and a round of severe storms pounded the region on Saturday night, forcing a delayed start to St. Louis CITY SC’s home date with FC Cincinnati, the German midfielder became curious by the promise of a natural spectacle.
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“Klauss and I wanted to go outside and look around,” Löwen said after the match. “We don’t have tornadoes in Germany. I didn’t really know what to expect.”
Although the dangerous weather system may have provided a unique experience for some of CITY’s international players, it wasn’t enough to knock the club off of its game. While they were walled off inside their locker room for much of the two-hour weather delay, CITY players stayed engaged by keeping things light. Ultimately, the unconventional preparation provided the boost St. Louis used to decisively dispatch Cincinnati, 5-1.
“We were in good spirits,” CITY head coach Bradley Carnell said. “Guys were dancing around. It took some of the pressure off to go out there and compete after such a delay. The guys were jovial, and we wanted to go out there and start the match with the same energy that we had in the locker room.”
Beyond storm spotting and familiarizing themselves with North America’s meteorological phenomenons, players passed the time in different ways. Kyle Hiebert, for instance, played an intense chess match with backup goalkeeper Ben Lundt. “You’ll have to ask Ben who won,” Hiebert joked. “But he’s not here, so let’s say me.”
Others kept soccer top of mind.
“I was laying there with Indy [Vassilev], watching some other MLS games,” Löwen said. “Switched around, had some fights about which game [we] wanted to see. Tim [Parker] decided in the end. We started with New York City vs. Nashville, then switched to Columbus. We had a good time with the boys. It was a really good atmosphere.”
So good, in fact, that players believed the locker room camaraderie translated into the club’s surge at the start of play.
“It shows our resolve, to put five past a Cincy team that really doesn’t give up that much,” said Jared Stroud, who scored St. Louis’ first goal during the third minute. “We wanted to reward our fans.”
That was a familiar refrain throughout the team’s post-match media availability. Approximately 15,000 fans braved the elements and waited out the delay. Although it may have been the smallest crowd in CITYPARK’s brief, four-game history in Major League Soccer, the weather didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of those who stuck around. At kickoff, Carnell turned to John Hackworth, CITY’s director of coaching, and said: “The first thing I want to do after the game is thank the fans.”
Carnell wasn’t alone.
“We came out to the warmup, and it was already pretty good [turnout],” Löwen said. “But when the game started, I was really surprised. Shout out to the fans. That is just incredible, and a great example—like always—[of] how the fans and the city is supporting us. We are very thankful for that.”
It all speaks to a team that seems to genuinely enjoy spending time with one another. When Stroud sparked the CITY scoring mere moments into the match, CITYPARK erupted as players flocked toward the corner flag for a team embrace. You couldn’t script a better “get-right” game for a St. Louis squad that had dropped two in a row entering play.
And for the players, it was a chance to carry the chemistry they cultivated in the locker room onto the field for a night they’ll remember.
“I think the boys showed some excellent resolve, excellent character,” Carnell said.
