City SC forward Klauss looks downfield after coming in as a substitution in the second half on Sunday Sept. 1, 2024, against the Los Angeles Galaxy at CityPark.
ºüÀêÊÓƵ City SC striker Klauss is in a pretty good mood these days.
Klauss is generally in a pretty good mood, except for when he’s going through a lengthy injury rehab, like the one he just finished. But right now, he’s playing again. He likes the team’s new collection of attacking players. He likes new coach John Hackworth. He is even fairly positive about the team’s chances of making the playoffs, which puts him in a distinct minority.
“I’m just happy to be back,†he said Thursday. “Happy to be around the guys and happy that I can help.â€
It’s been another injury-interrupted season for Klauss, who hadn’t missed a game to injury prior to last season, when he missed almost half the season with a quad injury. This season, Klauss missed 11 games over nine weeks because of a sprained knee ligament, returning to action Sept. 1. He’s come off the bench in the second half of the past two games and might be able to start when City SC plays a must-win game Saturday against Minnesota United at CityPark.
Though the team’s offense has been doing well since Cedric Teuchert, Marcel Hartel and Simon Becher arrived during the summer transfer window, Klauss has been on the field for two of the four goals in the past two games, despite playing only 58 minutes. Without touching the ball, he played a part in the game-tying goal Saturday, making a run that drew defenders to him and left Becher open to get off the shot that made it 2-2. The biggest and longest hug Becher got after the goal came from Klauss.
“It’s awesome to have him back,†Hackworth said.
“I think now we have a lot of quality in front, and I think the whole team has a lot of quality right now,†Klauss said. “I felt like it’s much easier to play. I think the players, they understand each other very well as well. It’s players that don’t want to have the ball for a long time, players that want to play as a team. So yeah, this helps a lot.â€
As the Becher goal showed, the presence of Klauss helps everyone. His move toward the ball kept the New England defense occupied just long enough for Becher have the room to shoot and score. Klauss had a similar play earlier this season that created a goal for Tomas Ostrak.
“Klauss has a really good ability to have an awareness of what’s going on around him, and it’s definitely at a high level, so that’s him making a really good read,†Hackworth said. “But also thinking about the creative side of it. ‘If I move into this space and I let this ball go through, what does that do for the guy behind?’ So for a guy like Klauss to recognize a three-player movement like that, and to dummy it, or to take guys away, it’s a sign of his intelligence as a player. He’s a presence out there, so he’s going to attract people. Now, his movement is the smart part.â€
He’s also, Hackworth noted, being unselfish.
“He could,†Hackworth said, “be looking to just say, ‘I need to keep myself on the board.’ But he’s not doing that. He’s literally leaving it for a better opportunity for a teammate.â€
“I think part of that is communication,†Klauss said. “Another part of that’s not being selfish. I think that’s what I like the most in the team right now. Everybody wants to help each other, everybody wants to support each other and everybody’s happy for each other. So that’s why I feel that this team is in the right way right now. ... I knew that Simon was running behind me, and when I heard him, I thought that it was the best decision in the moment.
“So that’s why it’s very, very important to have a good amount of players inside of the box, because it’s impossible for defenders to communicate so fast and make the best decision.â€
When Klauss entered the game against the Galaxy, for his first minutes since June 22, he got a big ovation from the CityPark crowd, maybe the biggest ovation other than for the final whistle and a 2-1 win. Even though Klauss has missed 26 games over the past two seasons, he remains a fan favorite, and ºüÀêÊÓƵ remains a favorite for him.
“I have to say thank you,†he said of the ovation, “because coming back from the injury, you don’t know what to expect, and then when they give you so much love, this gives me also so much power to give my best for them. And yeah, it’s not a secret for anyone how happy I am here, how much I love the club, how much I like the people that work here.â€
One of those people is Hackworth. The two had built a relationship in 2022, when Hackworth was coaching City2 and Klauss, one of the first players to join the team, practiced and played with them. Hackworth was an assistant coach for City SC last season before leaving the sideline to be director of coaching for the club before taking over on an interim basis when Bradley Carnell was fired.
“He’s helping us a lot.†Klauss said. “He’s bringing the confidence back to the team. I think the way the team is playing now shows how good he is. Of course, sometimes people want everything done, like, in a week, and that’s not how it works in soccer. He needs time. I think you already can see a very, very different team than before.â€
Whether Klauss starts Saturday won’t be known until the lineups come out an hour before the game, but starting or off the bench, Klauss is ready to do what’s needed.
“I think what I can do right now is try to support my teammates the best way that I can,†he said, “try to be there for them, and when I have the time on the field, try to help them. So that’s what I’m trying to do, trying to be very, very positive. Encourage them that we still can do something really good this season. This season is not over yet. And we are not thinking about 2025. Our head is in these six games. I think we still have a chance, and we will try to take it.â€
