St. Louis Metropolis SC v Nashville SC: Critchley urges hosts to be ´ruthless´
Interim St. Louis Metropolis head coach David Critchley has known as on his facet to be “extra ruthless” after their 2-1 defeat to Minnesota United earlier than the Leagues Cup break.
Critchley watched on as Kevin Yeboah’s penalty brace, certainly one of which was a Ninetieth-minute winner, overturned Eduard Lowen’s spot-kick within the first half for St. Louis.
St. Louis have been lowered to 10 males within the 72nd minute when Chris Durkin was proven a straight crimson card, leaving them unable to carry on for a treasured level of their season.
That consequence noticed them stay on the mistaken finish of the Western Convention desk, sitting in 14th and two factors forward of backside membership Los Angeles Galaxy.
Reflecting on their final match, Critchley said that his facet dominated the metrics however required extra ruthlessness to carry onto outcomes.
“I assumed we have been good on each side of the ball,” Critchley mentioned.
“I do know we had plenty of it within the first half, however even the little moments just like the counter urgent and being aggressive to get it again in a short time put us in a very good place to maintain pinning them again and create a purpose finally with Edu’s [Lowen] penalty.
“It was an important first half. However we do should be extra ruthless. We’ve got to attain extra targets in these moments and actually put groups to mattress.
“They got here out a bit passive within the first half, and we had such excessive discipline tilt, such excessive possession, such excessive xG, so all the information was in our favour.
“However we all know whenever you go away good groups hanging round like that, they will damage you in small moments, and we noticed that within the second half.”
Discovering the steadiness
Hear from Critch forward of #STLvNSH https://t.co/jSgk1WCqej pic.twitter.com/qT6bzf7bB9
— St Louis CITY SC (@stlCITYsc) August 7, 2025
St. Louis will likely be trying to get well from that consequence, however they’ve an enormous activity forward of them as they host nailed on playoff facet Nashville SC on Saturday.
Nashville, who sit third within the Jap Convention, stumbled of their final MLS outing towards San Diego FC, courtesy of a decisive second-half purpose from Hirving Lozano.
Lozano broke the impasse within the 53rd minute at Snapdragon Stadium, placing San Diego forward, with Sam Surridge and Hany Mukhtar squandering possibilities within the second half.
The loss noticed Nashville’s spectacular 10-match MLS scoring streak come to an finish, as that they had not been shut out since a goalless draw towards D.C. United on Might 17.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
St. Louis Metropolis – Eduard Lowen
Lowen accomplished 57 of his 60 passes towards Minnesota whereas additionally scoring his facet’s solely purpose with a strike from 12 yards.
Owing to his sturdy efficiency, Lowen grew to become the primary participant in St. Louis’ membership historical past to have an MLS match with each a passing accuracy of a minimum of 95% (min. 50 passes) and a purpose.
Nashville SC – Sam Surridge
Surridge has been a significant a part of Nashville’s success this season. The striker has bagged 18 targets this season – greater than another Nashville participant and joint-most within the league with Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi.
Regardless of an uncharacteristically poor outing towards San Diego, Surridge nonetheless managed to create one huge probability and hearth certainly one of Nashville’s 4 photographs on course.
Shifting the main target again to MLS motion @Fly_Nashville | #EveryoneN pic.twitter.com/vdyNgP7xne
— Nashville SC (@NashvilleSC) August 3, 2025
MATCH PREDICTION: NASHVILLE WIN
Nashville SC have misplaced every of their final two away matches (to Inter Miami and San Diego), after recording a seven-match street unbeaten streak in all competitions (W5 D2).
However BJ Callaghan’s facet haven’t misplaced three straight street video games since a four-game skid in July 2024, that means that St. Louis will definitely have their work minimize out for them.
After beginning the season with a four-game unbeaten streak (W2 D2), this weekend’s hosts have earned simply 10 factors in league play (W2 D4 L14). In that point (since March 22), St. Louis’ 10 factors are the fewest picked up by MLS groups.
The one earlier assembly between these two sides was a 3-1 residence win by Nashville in June 2023. Mukhtar scored all three of Nashville’s targets, the latest of his 4 profession MLS hat-tricks.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
St. Louis Metropolis – 28.3%
Draw – 24.3%
Nashville – 47.4%
