Simon Becher has been excited to enter a new era following the appointment of David Critchley as caretaker manager.
The St. Louis CITY SC attack had stalled throughout the short tenure of former head coach Olof Mellberg, but CITY SC’s scoring effort has enjoyed a new-look attack under the direction of Critchley. The first impression has been a return to the club’s preferred play style, and for Becher, that means a return to a style that helped the striker score four goals in seven matches after arriving in St. Louis on loan from AC Horsens.
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“We’re trying to get to the identity that we always had,” Becher says. “It’s a high-press and high-tempo team.”
The St. Louis front office had always wanted to bring Becher into the fold, but the timing of the start of his professional career and CITY SC’s official start date meant that the club would have to acquire him outside of the draft, which sent the Saint Louis University graduate to Vancouver in 2023. After initially bringing him in on loan, the club officially transferred Becher to the club in April.
Now, the work starts all over again as CITY SC attempts to climb into the playoff picture.
“The training field is where it starts,” Becher said after a particularly tough training session last week. “So it’s good to get back to it and good to start working.”
Becher’s first taste of life under Critchley was his substitute appearance against San Jose in the club’s 2–1 win on May 31, which broke the club’s 12-game MLS winless streak. The striker came into the match with a clear need to make something happen, and as the match marched into extra time, Becher ran onto a direct ball into space and was swiftly taken to the ground by Earthquakes goalkeeper Earl Edwards Jr. while rushing toward the goal.
That’s where Becher’s role in the squad is so important. As his new manager looks to play a more direct brand of soccer, his ability to stretch the opposing team’s back line will only grow in importance. “I can create space for guys underneath as well,” Becher says. “Even if we’re not playing over the top directly, sometimes the backline begins to drop, and then we can play a little bit more.”
Becher’s usage in this past weekend’s 2–1 loss in Portland showcased why his ability to create space with his movement into the attacking spaces will be so important. Starting on the right side of the formation, Becher moved centrally to the top of the formation whenever there was an opportunity for right back Tomas Totland to run onto the ball. His movement allowed João Klauss to float in the space underneath Becher, resulting in the group generating more scoring chances than they had in any first half away from home this season.
“It’s a collaborative effort,” Becher says, referring to the way that Klauss and Cedric Teuchert would like to play. “We’re all very complimentary players.”
Becher’s positioning in the formation will be important as St. Louis hosts the LA Galaxy on Saturday. Becher will hope that his goal in the club’s 0–3 win in LA earlier this year can be replicable under the squad’s new look. Becher scored late into that match, showcasing what the squad is capable of when they’re firing on all cylinders.
