香港三级片

When the sting is yours, it hits differently. It comes with any number of a variety of side effects such as regret, anger and bitterness. Then again, sometimes that sting yields increased focus and motivation.

It鈥檚 still early to have a great read on the situation, but St. 香港三级片 City SC sounds and feels like a team that used the sting of a disappointing 2024 season as a driving force heading into 2025. Meaningful games won鈥檛 begin for another couple of weeks, so assessing the club鈥檚 collective psyche is a highly inexact science.

However, there are encouraging signs. The primary sign? Change. If you鈥檙e someone who clamors for reshuffling when you don鈥檛 get the desired results, then City SC put plenty of bait on the hook for you.

The club has been reshuffled in multiple ways after it finished 12th out of 14 teams in the MLS Western Conference in 2024.

The roster shakeup began last season, in part due to injuries. City SC went from 29th in payroll at the start of the season to 21st by the end of the season according to MLS Players Association figures. They took advantage of the summer transfer window and also signed players from City2. They added more players this summer than any other MLS club.

Then, this winter, City SC made the change that had been in the queue for several months. They hired Olof Mellberg as the club鈥檚 new head coach. A former Swedish player who鈥檇 had success coaching there, he鈥檚 currently overseeing his first training camp with the club.

Sporting director Lutz Pfannenstiel left the door wide open for more change in regard to lineups and the club鈥檚 internal pecking order.

鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 matter how long you are here,鈥� Pfannenstiel said last week at City SC鈥檚 media day. 鈥淓veryone needs to prove themselves completely new. ... If the best 11 are 11 completely different people than played last year, so be it. It鈥檚 a competition. It鈥檚 a fight.鈥�

One player who has as much security in his place on the team as anyone, , appreciates the idea of change after what he described as a 鈥渧ery long鈥� offseason.

City SC folded up its tent at the end of the regular season in October, forced to watch the playoffs from afar one year after they鈥檇 played into November and played in the MLS playoffs in the club鈥檚 inaugural season.

An 8-13-13 record in 2024 provided plenty of sting for Burki, and he views the roster shakeup as beneficial.

鈥淎t one point (it was) the injuries that we had 鈥� we had key players injured for a longer period of time,鈥� Burki said of his takeaways from last season. 鈥淭hen we also were lacking more (creativity) in how we want to play, what we are going to do on the field. The (creativity) that you have to have to beat teams.

鈥淢aybe also soccer intelligence sometimes was lacking on our part. Now, obviously, with the players that we got 鈥� experienced players that played in Bundesliga 鈥� that鈥檚 definitely something really good that helps us.鈥�

Burki, the team captain, gained prominence playing in the Bundesliga earlier in his career.

Striker echoed Burki鈥檚 sentiment that the offseason was a bit too long for his personal preference.

As Klauss reflected on 2024, his thoughts went immediately to the rough start. Changing that in 2025 has been a focus.

鈥淟ast season, we started pretty slow, we tied a lot of games and we lost a lot of points in the beginning,鈥� Klauss said. 鈥淭his is something that we have to improve this season. I think when we got warm during the season, it was already too late.鈥�

Last year, City SC went 3-2-7 from the start of the season through May 4 (12 total matches, 10 MLS, two CONCACAF).

Klauss scored 10 goals and registered four assists in 2023 in fewer games and fewer minutes than it took him to score five goals with three assists in 2024.

Klauss focused much of his offseason on training so he鈥檇 be in better condition at the start of preseason and into the start of the season.

He also expressed optimism about the different approach to the preseason under Mellberg, despite there still being some growing pains learning a new system and philosophy.

鈥淚n preseason, that鈥檚 the time you have to build physicality,鈥� Klauss said. 鈥淵ou can build your physical conditions, and you can build your strengths. I think this was missing last year.

鈥淭his year, it has been very different. I think this year, we鈥檙e doing double what we were doing last year. It鈥檚 been very important for everybody.鈥�

From the roster to the coaching to the approach and the focus of some key returning players, City SC has the look of a team ready to turn the page and begin anew.

Right now, that鈥檚 the most encouraging sign they could give us.