最新杏吧原创

How much of that interim coach David Critchley will do is in flux, because even if the team can鈥檛 change its place in the standings, wins still resonate for a team that has had so few of them this season.

鈥淭he last couple of games, not the LAFC one, but the prior two games, I was able to find a formula where we won the game and were good but were able to get City2 guys in and get guys opportunities,鈥� Critchley said. 鈥淵ou have to find that balance. The one thing that no one inside these walls wants is to go out for the next two games and lose the last two games. So we want to pick up points. We want to be competitive, but also find opportunities as well, based on who is coming back next year, who are the young players that we feel like can be really good and impactful for the future success of the club. So it鈥檚 always just finding a balancing act. There鈥檚 no one formula where next week I鈥檓 not going to go super young and have the youngest lineup out there. It鈥檚 just going to be consistently finding opportunities.鈥�

Some changes may be out of Critchley鈥檚 control. City SC could be without midfielder Eduard Lowen, who missed practice on Thursday for personal reasons, with his availability for the weekend uncertain. (There was no update on his status on Friday.) Lowen missed 16 of 18 games between March 30 and July 13, and City SC had one win, 11 losses and four ties in that span.

If Lowen can鈥檛 play, Critchley鈥檚 options are some combination of Chris Durkin, Alfredo Morales, Tomas Ostrak and Seth Antwi.

鈥淚t does (leave a big hole),鈥� he said. 鈥淭hankfully, I鈥檝e been happy with the rest of the positions of the (central midfielders) this week specifically. I think Chris, Alfie, Tomas and Seth have all trained well. All four of them rotated into what I would consider the starting 11 for opportunities to get some reps in what we鈥檙e looking for tactically. So I feel like all four could be prepared. But no doubt, if we don鈥檛 have Edu, it鈥檒l be a missing piece for us. He has a massive impact on this team.鈥�

With a string of good results, Critchley had been sticking with the same lineup, with only the changes that were necessitated by availability. But coming off the 3-0 loss to Los Angeles FC, he has the opportunity to change things up.

One change apparently will be to bring right back Tomas Totland back into the starting lineup. Conrad Wallem had been doing well in that spot, forcing Totland to the bench. Once a fixture in the City SC lineup, Totland had played only 58 minutes over the team鈥檚 past nine games. At the start of the season, he missed four games with a hamstring injury, had recovered enough to get back into the lineup, but then suffered a separate hamstring injury and missed six games. When he was healthy again, he went back in the lineup, starting six of eight games, but they were not his best and was sat in favor of Wallem.

鈥淭omas will have a big feature this weekend, that鈥檚 what I鈥檒l say on that,鈥� Critchley said. 鈥淎s he went through his injury and came back in and got put into a position where the entire system and philosophy changed in the wide areas. Probably was one of the players that just took a little bit of time to adjust. But as of late, he鈥檚 been training very well. ... Going across the Montreal, San Jose games, we just found ourselves in a lead and where we didn鈥檛 want to rotate the back line in these situations when we had the lead and we had to then defend moments. So that鈥檚 out of his control, unfortunately. But what is in his control is how he trains, how he prepares. He鈥檚 been doing that very well for a few weeks now. So you鈥檒l see him featured in the next two games.鈥�

鈥淚t鈥檚 definitely been a difficult season,鈥� Totland said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 most of all because of how the body has been with both the hamstring injuries, it鈥檚 been a whole new thing for me and how to deal with that has been a new thing to learn. It鈥檚 nothing to hide that it hasn鈥檛 been the greatest of seasons. I haven鈥檛 gotten to play as much as I would have wanted. But it鈥檚 still a lot of football to play this year and next year. That鈥檚 what I鈥檓 focusing on.

鈥淚鈥檝e never had an injury that鈥檚 taken me out of a game for eight years up until now. So it鈥檚 been difficult. But that鈥檚 in the past now, and I look forward. I think it鈥檚 going to be good with some time off to reflect and get the body rested again, and then start building up to 2026 so I have a year there without injuries.鈥�

While Wallem has fit in nicely since being put at right back this season, he鈥檚 on loan from Slavia Prague and that loan ends at the end of the season. City SC has a purchase option, size unknown, in the loan, and that will be one of the decisions the sporting director, identity unknown, will have to make.

Center backs Henry Kessler and Fallou Fall are both expected back in the lineup.

The club became one of the top clubs in 最新杏吧原创 and now, under the name Lou Fusz Athletic, also has lacrosse and American football teams in addition to soccer.

鈥淲e鈥檙e trying to create a love of the sport,鈥� Popovic said in an interview on the club鈥檚 Instagram page. 鈥淎ll my life, I play soccer, and if I started again, I鈥檇 probably play soccer. You can鈥檛 take this away from somebody. If you love the sport, you will do anything to help the kids and to help the soccer.鈥�

鈥淪alt of the earth,鈥� said Jim Leeker, a teammate of Popovic on the Stars and now the head of the 最新杏吧原创 Soccer Hall of Fame, into which Popovic was inducted in 2004. 鈥淚 could ask him anything; he鈥檇 give me a straight answer. He was very congenial, would never turn you down. If anyone came up to him, he was your long-lost cousin or nephew and he was a father figure. He had a way with the kids. He always called 最新杏吧原创 home. He fell in love with 最新杏吧原创.鈥�

Popovic was born in Berane, Yugoslavia (now in Montenegro), and started his pro career there with Red Star Belgrade and Hajduk Split before coming to play for the Stars. He was a midfielder with a knack for flash who was known then by his given name, Dragan. He was traded after the 1967 season to Kansas City and returned to the Stars, now in the North American Soccer League, in 1969, also serving as an assistant coach. He stayed until 1971, when he left to play and coach in Canada. In 1973, he played on a Canadian select team in a game against Arsenal.

It wasn鈥檛 until 1976, when he became a full-time coach, that he became known as Don. He started in Rochester, New York, when the NASL was in its heyday, then joined the fledgling Major Indoor Soccer League, working in New York, the San Francisco Bay Area, Las Vegas, Pittsburgh, back to New York and then back to 最新杏吧原创 with the Storm in 1989. He won four consecutive MISL titles from 1979 to 1982 with the New York Arrows and was named coach of the year in both the NASL and MISL. When he returned to 最新杏吧原创 to coach the expansion Storm in 1989, he had the second-best winning percentage for a coach in MISL, .684.

Popovic was fired by the Storm in 1992 but didn鈥檛 want to leave 最新杏吧原创, his wife鈥檚 hometown. Fusz asked him to coach one of his son鈥檚 teams, and from there, the idea grew into starting a club.

鈥淚 think I鈥檒l get a lot of enjoyment from this,鈥� Popovic said at the time. 鈥淚n all my years of coaching in America, I did so many demonstrations, camps and clinics with the kids.鈥�

鈥淭his will keep him in 最新杏吧原创,鈥� Fusz said, 鈥渁nd it will give the kids an opportunity to learn the basics from a highly experienced coach.鈥�

And they did, as the club grew and grew, building fields in Creve Coeur and buying the former Rams training center in Earth City, which includes an indoor field. Lou Fusz became one of the largest clubs in the state, with more than 150 teams in all age groups, and won state and national championships.

鈥淲hen I stepped in at Lou Fusz as a technical director,鈥� said interim City SC coach David Critchley, 鈥淒on was the director of coaching, finishing up his fantastic coaching career. I went to his house a couple of times and he was just kind of updating me on the landscape of 最新杏吧原创 soccer and the culture, and I always remember going to his basement and every wall was just covered in memorabilia, autographs from all the world鈥檚 greatest players and teams. A fantastic human being, fantastic for soccer in the entire country, not just 最新杏吧原创. May he rest in peace.鈥�

Popovic is survived by his wife, Connie. The funeral service will be Monday at 10 a.m. at St. Clare of Assisi Church, 15642 Clayton Road, Ellisville. Visitation is Sunday from 2-7 p.m. at Schrader Funeral Home, 14960 Manchester Road, Ballwin.

Joyner came off the bench to play the final 25 minutes against LAFC, then did the same on Sunday, playing the final 32 minutes, which included drawing a foul in the box in stoppage time and then converting the penalty kick to tie the game. City2 then won the ensuing shootout, and the two points it got were enough for it to clinch the best record in MLS Next Pro.

鈥淭hank God we had Mykhi back today for at least 30 minutes,鈥� Hackworth said.

While several players have suited up for City SC and City2 on consecutive days, most have played in only one of the two games. Only Joyner and Joey Zalinsky have played in both of the games. Joyner is the undisputed champ: He鈥檚 done it three times this season.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 really think about that, to be honest,鈥� Joyner said. 鈥淚 just go out there and have fun. I鈥檓 still a kid, I鈥檓 young, so I can still run a lot.鈥�

鈥淲e have to look at the age of the player,鈥� said City SC coach David Critchley, 鈥渢he position that they play. Some guys, if they鈥檙e 24, 25, might not be able to put in 120 minutes on a weekend, where Mykhi, being a lot younger (19), can do it. Mykhi is also one that has been a key figure to the success of City2. I would like to see him go a playoff run with them as well. ... I know he鈥檚 chasing the Golden Boot as well, which he wants. He鈥檚 let me know that.鈥�

Joyner is likely to come up short for the second season in a row. He missed the scoring title by two goals last season and is down three with one game to go this season.

Still, it takes the right situation for it to happen. It works best when City SC plays on a Saturday and then City2 plays on Sunday. It also helps if both games are at the same venue, though Orozco started for City2 on Sept. 19 and played the full 90 minutes at Austin, then flew to San Jose and sat on the bench and wasn鈥檛 needed the next day.

There are only two more chances this season for someone to pull double duty. City SC is at Austin on Saturday, with City2 at Portland on Sunday, though with City2 having clinched everything there is to clinch, there鈥檚 no reason to have anyone go to unnecessary lengths. And then on Oct. 18, City SC closes its season at home against Real Salt Lake, with City2 opening the MLS Next Pro playoffs at home, most likely on Sunday. And for that one, City2 is likely to bring the players who started the season with City2 back for the playoffs.

鈥淓ven if they don鈥檛 want me to, I will,鈥� McSorley said.

Hackworth multitasking

On Saturday night, when City SC was playing, Hackworth was in interim sporting director mode, so he wore a sport coat. On Sunday, as interim coach of City2, he was wearing a T-shirt.

鈥淚 tried to look the part (Saturday) night,鈥� he said.

Hackworth has not been shorting either job. Since Lutz Pfannenstiel was fired and Hackworth moved into the sporting director role on an interim basis, Hackworth has been at both teams鈥� games each weekend.

鈥淚 have to,鈥� he said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 nobody else to do it. So when you go through all the changes we鈥檝e gone through, we still have a lot of good people in that building, staff, and it would be negligent on my part not to try to be a good leader and give them everything that I can to help them be successful. So I鈥檒l take it. I don鈥檛 want to do (both jobs) forever. I haven鈥檛 slept enough.鈥�

Teuchert鈥檚 season over

Critchley confirmed Tuesday what has seemed obvious over the past month, that forward Cedric Teuchert is done for the season.

鈥淲e鈥檝e shut Cedric down,鈥� he said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 just had the continuous groin injury that every time we seem to push up a gear, there is pain that comes around. So we think it鈥檚 the best decision for his health for the long term.鈥�

Teuchert, the fourth-highest-paid player on the team, hasn鈥檛 played since July 26. It鈥檚 been a disappointing season for the German, who had seven goals in 14 games over all competitions last season but had only three in 22 MLS games this season.

Notes

Sangbin Jeong has been called in for South Korea鈥檚 two upcoming friendly matches, on Oct. 10 vs. Brazil and on Oct. 14 vs. Paraguay. Both matches are in Seoul, so while Jeong won鈥檛 miss any games (City SC, like most of MLS, is off on Oct. 11), he may just be getting over jet lag for City SC鈥檚 season finale on Oct. 18.

This is consecutive call-ins for Jeong after getting his previous call-up four years ago and the first time a City SC player has been called up by his country in consecutive international windows.

• Fallou Fall, who was hurt in a collision with LAFC鈥檚 Denis Bouanga, didn鈥檛 practice on Tuesday, but Critchley said he hopes he鈥檚 back on Wednesday. Henry Kessler, who has missed the past two games, did some work with the team and some on his own Tuesday. Critchley put it at about 75-25 he plays Saturday.
• City SC plays Austin on Saturday in its final road game of the season, but Austin has a game before that when it plays in the U.S. Open Cup final against Nashville on Wednesday.