NYCFC vs St. Louis City SC preview: Looking to bounce back

When New York City FC goes on the road, the team is expected not to win.  They ended up with one road win last season, so when they lost away from home against Charlotte FC last week to open the new campaign, it did not come as a shock.  Still, it was disappointing to begin 2024 with a loss.

Now, NYCFC will face off against St. Louis City SC.  This will be the first Major League Soccer matchup between the two sides.  Hence, anything can happen.  It would be expected that the Pigeons will not earn three points based on the road woes, but at the same time, St. Louis is also struggling to start their season.

Meanwhile, head coach Nick Cushing talked about the possibility of playing with two strikers, meaning Mounsef Bakrar and Jovan Mijatović.  Playing with two strikers would go against how the Bronx side has played for years.  Often, the team plays as a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3.  Nevertheless, it does not hurt to try something new.

Without taking more time, here is the preview of the game between NYCFC and St. Louis City SC.

Date 

NYCFC and St. Louis will play one another on Saturday, March 2.

Time

The game is at 8:30 PM ET.

Location

The fixture will occur at CITYPARK in St. Louis, Missouri.

How to watch

Fans can watch the game on Apple TV via the MLS Season Pass.

Weather

Saturday evening will be a clear night in St. Louis.  At 8:30 PM, it is forecasted to be around 55 degrees.  Coats will be needed, but not full on winter gear.

Injury report

Maxi Moralez (right knee) was already known to be out, but Tayvon Gray (left leg), new signing Rio Hope-Gund (abdomen), and Talles Magno (left knee) are all out against St. Louis.  For Magno, that might explain why he did not start or play more in the Charlotte match.

Players to watch

NYCFC fans should Hannes Wolf in Saturday’s match.  The midfielder did well to start his MLS career, so it will be interesting to see how he does in his second fixture, pending he is in the Starting XI.

On the other side, supporters should watch Roman Bürki on St. Louis City.  The goalkeeper was vital to his club in 2023 and is arguably one of the better ones in MLS.  Last year, he was second in saves.

Prediction

It is predicted that NYCFC will lose 3-1 due to their road struggles.  It is believed someone can score the first goal of the 2024 season.