Photography courtesy St. Louis CITY SC
Before signing on the dotted line with St. Louis CITY SC, Ben Lundt knew he would be a backup.
After only four appearances, and his name forever etched in St. Louis soccer history for being a member of CITY’s inaugural squad, Lundt believes he made the right choice.
“I knew what I was coming into,” Lundt says. “[But] being part of something special is always great.”
Lundt trains every week knowing he won’t play on match day. That’s OK. Working behind defending MLS Goalkeeper of the Year Roman Bürki, it is Lundt’s clearly-stated focus to make his teammates better. It’s a selfless job—one that CITY goalkeeper coach Alex Langer says Lundt has fully embraced.
“The engagement Ben has in every single session, the way he supports Roman and the entire team is excellent,” Langer says. “He gets a lot of recognition out of it as well. Everybody on the team rates Ben so highly.”
The goalkeeper union at CITY feels special. Lundt says the competition within the group at other teams is usually so high that goalkeepers want to see their teammates fail. But that’s not the case at CITY.
The goalkeepers at CITY support each other and celebrate their accomplishments together. So even though he knows he’ll be on the bench for matchday, Lundt says it’s his job as a professional to bring his best to training no matter what.
“I never want to let my teammates or goalkeeping group down by not practicing well or not showing good energy because we all respect each other too much,” Lundt says.
From the sidelines, Lundt does anything he can to give his teammates an advantage on the field. Pay close attention to Lundt during a game, and you’re likely to see him arguing with the fourth official or even chirping away at the opposing bench.
“I’m very passionate and I want to win every single game,” Lundt says. “If that’s something that I have to do, then I’m happy to do that.”
The 28-year-old German can trace that approach to the beginning of his career with his hometown team, Hertha Berlin. As a teenager, he was near the bottom of the depth chart and quickly realized how difficult it was to train every day knowing he wouldn’t play. Lundt encountered a similar situation after being drafted No. 37 overall by FC Cincinnati in the 2019 MLS SuperDraft.
Those experiences taught Lundt the importance of professionalism and team unity. They are lessons he passes on to younger goalkeepers at CITY.
“I try to be a role model in terms of how to approach training, how to approach a game, and in general, how to be a good guy on a team,” Lundt says.
Being a backup is a rite of passage for a goalkeeper. Every goalkeeper will eventually ride the bench. The mental part of the job can make or break their career.
Langer says a backup goalkeeper’s role is difficult because goalkeeping is an all-or-nothing affair. They either play the entire match, or they don’t. Very rarely do goalkeepers get subbed during a game. An outfield player can come off the bench and immediately be involved, but a goalkeeper can go almost an entire half without seeing any action.
“Being mentally focused throughout a game where you might not be as involved and as included in the in the game is really difficult, especially for the backup goalkeeper who hasn't [played] in a while,” Langer says.
Lundt appeared in four CITY2 matches throughout 2023 to stay sharp, and it’s likely he’ll continue to do so this season. Langer is confident that if Lundt is called on for the first team, he’ll be ready.
Lundt’s daughter, Harper, was born in March and he knows that one day she’ll hear all the stories about his time in St. Louis. For now, Lundt says becoming a father has changed his perspective on his career.
“It adds a little bit more pressure because now I have to take care of a baby,” Lundt says. “I’m not playing for myself anymore, I’m playing for my family. But it’s more motivation.”
Harper experienced the CITYPARK atmosphere for the first time against Austin FC in early April. Lundt’s mother flew in from Germany and accompanied his wife and daughter to the game.Though Lundt didn’t play, he knows that when the time comes, he’ll look forward to playing in front of his daughter.
“My job as a soccer player is to be the best version of myself every week, so I’m ready no matter what,” Lundt says.
