City SC midfielder Eduard Lowen kicks the ball past Real Salt Lake midfielder Diego Luna in the first half of a game on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024, at CityPark.
City SC coach Bradley Carnell did not rule out midfielders Eduard Lowen and Njabulo Blom for Saturday鈥檚 game with Chicago, though he didn鈥檛 rule them in either.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e working hard; they鈥檙e inching ever so closer,鈥 Carnell said Thursday. 鈥淭here鈥檚 still a day to decide if they are part of the roster or not. But again, they鈥檝e had a good week of training with us, introducing them as neutrals through the week and then progressing them, and I feel they鈥檙e in a good space. We鈥檒l just have to see if they鈥檙e ready to execute some real live game minutes.
鈥淚t鈥檚 good to progress. It鈥檚 good to see guys coming to the coaches and saying, 鈥楬ey, I鈥檓 ready to go to the next level.鈥 So quick chat to the medical staff to make sure we鈥檙e working within our limitations of what the players can do, and then, if we can set them free, then it鈥檚 a really good feeling because we know how strong we can be as a collective unit. And this is what we strive for, more numbers for me to choose by, more pressure to put on players who are playing and more minutes to be had with a schedule coming up now with midweek games next week. It鈥檚 a good spot. good moment to get everybody integrated.鈥
If they don鈥檛 play this Saturday, they won鈥檛 have to wait long for their next chance. The Chicago game is the first of three in eight days for City SC, which plays Los Angeles FC on Wednesday at CityPark and then travels to face Cincinnati the following Saturday.
Blom hasn鈥檛 played since April 6 because of a hamstring injury; Lowen last played on March 9 with a hamstring injury, which has been complicated by a continuing and unspecified family emergency. He almost was on the roster for the April 6 game, but Carnell chose not to use him.
鈥淚t鈥檚 always a two-parter with Edu at the moment,鈥 Carnell said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e trying to get Edu into in a place where he feels physically comfortable and mentally comfortable as well. So what happens is when he鈥檚 here, he has a certain aura around him with his presence, with his quality that it鈥檚 a joy to coach and watch with his teammates. So that鈥檚 the first part of success. Now getting him in a spot available to be in contention, that鈥檚 the next one. So luckily, we still have another day to decide that.鈥
A slow field
Carnell moved practice Thursday to CityPark so the team could get a feel for the new grass surface that went in since their most recent home. Klauss was not impressed.
鈥淯nfortunately, the field is not ready yet,鈥 he said. 鈥淲e have to say the truth. From outside, it looks very good, but inside, the field鈥檚 not ready. These things that we cannot decide. Unfortunately, in the last game, the field was amazing, was the best condition that it was in the whole season. And then we changed the field again and it needs time to fit, but there is no excuses. That鈥檚 something that we have to go through. I hope they can fix it as soon as possible because we have a great opportunity. In the next four games, we have three home games, and we wish the field is going to be in good situation because we like to play very quick. We want to have fast games, we want intense games. Unfortunately, now it鈥檚 kind of slow.鈥
鈥淥bviously with new grass, it鈥檚 a process to get used to it,鈥 Carnell said. 鈥淪o it was important to get the players a feel, one training session at least on the field and get a good feeling going into the weekend鈥檚 game. So business as usual.鈥
Klauss got a quick take on the field. The team starts Thursday practices with a soccer tennis competition, and Klauss was eliminated when a ball played to his side of the net barely bounced, making it impossible to return.
The team took advantage of a three-week gap between home games for City SC and City2 to take out the original grass and install a new surface of the same type of Bermudagrass to get ready for the hot 狐狸视频 summer. The one difference from the original surface was that it had been overseeded with ryegrass, which does better in the spring but will die out in the summer months.
