Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

“We weren’t good enough with our build up,” STL City interim coach David Critchley said. “If we’re going to be a team that tries to build and play through opponents or around opponents, the end objective is to always try to create the shot from it or at least create the ball into the final third. And that was the missing piece for us.” That’s the reality as the team now faces a difficult task in their chances to make it to the postseason after their 1-0 loss on the road against the Houston Dynamo.  Houston outshot City SC 18-7 overall out of City’s seven shots, only one was on goal.

Houston broke the scoreless tie when Ezequiel Ponce found the back of the net on the 66th minute. City SC pressured the Dynamo during stoppage time but could not find the equalizer. It’s been a tough season so far,” defender Michael Wentzel said. “Not only the last four games, but it’s also been all year where we try to find momentum. I think it’s great that we were able to score more goals in the last couple of games, but now we also have to be defensively, just ruthless.” City SC goalie Roman Burki made five saves to keep his team in the game, but couldn’t create any scoring chances. City’s Joao Klauss header in the 77th minute went over the top of the crossbar, while Cedric Teuchert had his team’s lone shot on goal in stoppage time. 

“We’re still hungry; we still want to win,” said midfielder Jake Girdwood-Reich. “I think this is a time where we come together. We can’t go off to live in our own little groups. We need to stick together as a team, and it’s still the main goal. We still want to win games.

“You just want to try and make the playoffs,” he said. “That’s simple.” Simple, but for that to happen, the team will have to start winning games on the road as they head west to face Real Salt Lake for the first time this season on Saturday,