St Louis City Sc vs San Jose Earthquakes Picks and Predictions May 31st 2025

David Critchley to Make Managerial Debut for St. Louis City Against San Jose

St. Louis City SC will usher in a new chapter on Saturday as David Critchley takes the reins for his managerial debut against the streaking San Jose Earthquakes. Critchley becomes the third head coach for St. Louis in just 11 months, inheriting a club desperate to reverse its fortunes in the Western Conference.

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The decision to part ways with Olof Mellberg came Tuesday following a 2-8-5 start that left the club 14th in the West and tied with Austin FC for the fewest goals scored in MLS (11). Mellberg had only been in charge for 15 games, replacing John Hackworth, who went 7-7-4 to close out the 2024 season.

“As a club, we have certain standards we need to meet and believe a coaching change was necessary to improve the overall performance and return to a winning culture,” said sporting director Lutz Pfannenstiel. “Our fans deserve a better-performing team, and we intend to give them one.”

Tough First Test for Critchley

Critchley, who had been managing CITY2 in the MLS NEXT Pro league (6-4-1 record), now faces the daunting task of turning around a struggling first team. His debut won’t be easy, as San Jose (6-6-4, 22 points) enters the weekend unbeaten in their last eight matches across all competitions (5-0-3).

Under the guidance of MLS all-time wins leader Bruce Arena, the Earthquakes are coming off a gritty 1-0 road win over the LA Galaxy. Ousseni Bouda netted the game-winner in the 74th minute, while backup goalkeeper Earl Edwards Jr. delivered a six-save performance, including a dramatic late stop to preserve the clean sheet.

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“That game could have gone either way,” said Arena. “Obviously, a huge goal. Very good play by Judd and great finish by Bouda. We’re pleased anytime you win a game on the road in MLS.”

With San Jose’s confidence surging and St. Louis in turmoil, Saturday’s clash is one of the more intriguing matchups on the slate for anyone analyzing MLS Predictions and Match Trends. Critchley will be under pressure to spark an immediate response, but whether the pieces are in place remains to be seen.

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