'A pretty incredible moment' - From 14th to title contenders: How Yoann Damet revived St. Louis CITY and kept them rolling without Marcel Hartel

Every coach will tell you that they’re about “process” and “systems”. This is the reality of modern soccer, where alignment is everything. Get the right sporting director, the right manager, and the right facilities, and good things happen.

St. Louis were the model of that when they first entered the league in 2023. German football guru Lutz Pfannenstiel came in as Sporting Director. He appointed Bradley Carnell, a young and progressive manager. They won their first game and never really stopped from there. Carnell guided the team to a first-place finish in the Western Conference. Only three teams garnered more points in MLS. And even if the magic ended rather abruptly in the first round of the playoffs, there was ample reason to believe they could go again.

Instead, things went the opposite way. In 2024, they finished 12th in the West. Last year, it was 13th - with the majority of the season overseen by an interim coach promoted from the club’s MLS Next Pro side.

The response? Burn it all down. In came Wray, touted for his data-driven approach in a handful of assistant GM roles (he had never been a full-time CSO). His first hire? A guy who had never held a full-time MLS head coach role. And when results went south, there wasn’t all that much surprise. This is, after all, what is supposed to happen when clubs rebuild, opt for numbers and spreadsheets over experience and grizzled vets.

But there was also a benefit there. Employ a staff that is young, nimble and hungry, give them a roster with few expectations - perhaps a little magic can happen.

At least, that’s how they saw it back in January.

“You start with a clear vision of what you want, and you establish a clear process of how you're gonna get there,” Damet said. “You know it's gonna be a journey that is gonna take time, but at least you're gonna have a direction to follow.”

There were some key principles - tactically, at least. Damet wanted three central defenders, two hard-working central midfielders, at least one No. 10, and a central striker. St. Louis also really wanted to have the ball as much as possible. At first it didn’t really work. They didn’t win a game until March 21 - and in that fixture, a 3-1 victory over New England, they had less of the ball than their opponent.

There’s a real irony there, of course. But Damet insists that it was part of the plan.

“Every single day, every single week, you have to try to reflect, assess, and then learn from it, and try to do it better the next day,” he said.

It might have been a bit of a turning point, too - validation that this very young, very data-driven model was working.

“Belief keeps growing, and the confidence starts coming, and then you can make it a little bit more sustainable. So I'd say that's the journey we've been on. The buy-in has been there since day one, but the belief and the confidence grow as it goes,” Damet added.

And then, just when Damet saw hope, the bad stuff came. Hartel’s situation couldn’t be avoided.

“There's only so much we can really force. Believe me, we tried everything and we just did everything that anyone could think of, because we did understand the importance of this. But the second that’s not possible, we’ve got to move,” Wray said.

However, the departure of fan favorite Eduard Lowen was less expected. The attacking midfielder - and one of Damet’s key weapons - was due to see his contract expire at the end of the season. He was part of the first iteration of the team. And with St. Louis noncommittal on an extension, he asked the club to look into the possibility of trading him.

“Players look at that six-month out window. And if they don't have any clarity on that, start to really get concerned,” Wray explained.

Lowen’s situation was further complicated by the fact that his preseason had been afflicted by personal tragedy. His wife had battled brain cancer for two years, and passed away in March 2026. St. Louis granted him personal leave, and he didn’t feature in a game until April. Market value dictates that a player of Lowen’s quality deserves a tidy salary, and perhaps a coveted designated player spot. St. Louis couldn’t guarantee that.

“This is a guy that I have a lot of respect for. I could force him to stay, but he could be a free agent, you know. Tell him all that stuff. You can do all those things in theory, but we wanted to land on something that made sense for all of us, and also give the guy an opportunity to find something,” Wray added.

Lowen would be traded to the San Jose Earthquakes in August.

And so the departures were sorted - the team’s most obvious talents gone, a new head coach in place, working for a rookie front office. But Wray knew what change looked like for a football club. He was there in the early days of Toronto FC, who steadily built themselves up after entering the league in 2007.

“I was the first intern with Toronto FC. Every player we signed was brand new. The connection to that team is super unique, and so I get that it is not great when someone that you've started your journey as a fan with departs the club,” he said. “But there are cycles in sports.”

Besides, change was already afoot in the background. Damet’s Columbus Crew-influenced playing style demanded quick decision-making and high pressing. Some of the guys they had weren’t quite the right fit.

“It's not to say that any of the guys that departed were bad players individually. They are outstanding. But the way in which you want to build the team is all about the fit into the team and being able to be super flexible in game, make tactical adjustments for the coach, fit a physical profile where everybody has to run and contribute and press,” Wray explained.

And with that core belief in place, rebounding wasn’t all that difficult.

“I've always said at the start of the year that the team would be the centerpiece. Every individual is bringing their own values to the team, but the team is the only thing that will make every individual shine. And I think there is a very clear understanding of that,” Damet explained.

Still, help arrived all the same. USMNT striker Damion Downs arrived from Southampton on loan until the end of the 2027 season. He was followed by a real splash when St. Louis broke the MLS intra-league transfer record to acquire Rafa Navarro from the Colorado Rapids. They also signed him to a four-year contract. He has scored five goals in his first five games in a St. Louis shirt.

On Oct. 21, St. Louis will have the chance to prove that this whole process thing actually works. They play Columbus Crew in the U.S. Open Cup final - ironically, matched up against the MLS club where both Wray and Damet cut their teeth in the league.

“There has never been a trophy won at the club, so it's like in the back of everybody's mind,” Damet admitted.

And until then, there’s a question of that win streak. Avoid defeat against LA Galaxy on Sunday, and they will match the longest unbeaten run in league history. That’s an admittedly remarkable feat for a club that seemed down and out before the season really kicked in.

Yet, if only to stay in character, no one is taking any time to appreciate it.

“While it is actually a pretty incredible moment, the reality is, I don’t think any of us will be able to enjoy it or appreciate it as much as we probably should until the end of the season when we have time to look back and reflect,” Wray said.

Nothing changes, it seems. But maybe that's not such a bad thing.