The Designated Players | An MLS Podcast · Andrew Barnikel, Connor Wright

Episode 439: A Not So Deep Dive Into St Louis City's 2026 Season ft Flyover Footy!

·42 min·3 clips

St. Louis City's 2025 season collapsed after a promising start, leaving fans with PTSD and questions about the future.

This episode previews St. Louis City SC for the 2026 MLS season with host Andrew and guest Matt from the Fly Over Footy podcast. Matt is a team-specific creator providing an insider's perspective on the club's outlook. The hosts review a disappointing 2025 season where St. Louis finished 13th in the West with only eight wins under former coach Olaf Melberg. The club's new head coach is 35-year-old Yoann Damet, a former assistant under Wilfried Nancy at Columbus Crew. St. Louis's key offseason addition is defensive midfielder Daniel Edelman, a 22-year-old acquired from New York City FC. The team also added left wing-back Rafael Santos and re-signed right wing-back Konrad Volum. A major loss is striker João Klauss, the club's all-time leading scorer, who was sold to LA Galaxy. Defender Henry Kessler also departed in free agency. The current striker options are Simon Becher and second-year player Brendan McSorley. The roster still has about six open slots, and sporting director Corey Ray stated the squad overhaul may take six to twelve months. An interesting insight is that Edelman is expected to play a more progressive, on-ball role in midfield compared to his time in New York. The hosts note the club's new leadership emphasizes "alignment" between the front office and coaching staff on a tactical vision. Matt reveals the likely formation shift to a three-center-back system with wing-backs, a setup previous coaches couldn't fully implement. A surprising claim is that the sale of Klauss was not initially planned, but the Galaxy's offer was too good to refuse for an expiring contract. A memorable concern is the personal situation of midfielder Eduard Löwen, whose wife is battling brain cancer, impacting his preseason availability. Matt argues the team's floor has been raised but its ceiling is capped without a Klauss replacement. The tone is conversational and analytical, blending fan perspective with roster evaluation. The style is optimistic yet pragmatic, focusing on a multi-year rebuild rather than immediate results. MLS fans interested in tactical rebuilds and roster construction would love this episode. Listeners seeking a definitive playoff prediction or major transfer headlines might skip it.

As heard by us

A practical preseason read on St. Louis City's floor, wing-back rethink, and midfield upgrade.

This St. Louis City preseason discussion stays grounded. Matt from Fly Over Footy helps the hosts sort through the club's offseason shape, the wing-back picture, and what Danny Edelman brings to midfield.

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Why you'd press play

You want a St. Louis City 2026 preview that zeroes in on roster fit and the wing-back setup.

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