St. Louis City’s Eduard Löwen says his wife has brain cancer

ST. LOUIS — St. Louis City SC midfielder Eduard Löwen told reporters at a news conference Thursday that his wife has been diagnosed with brain cancer.

“It was kind out of nowhere,” Löwen said to reporters. “My wife has had serious health issues. It got worse and worse, and then she ended up having surgery. The truth is now that my wife has cancer.”

Löwen noted that his wife, Ilona, is “doing well at the moment, thank God. She’s doing really well, and we’ll see how it’s progressing.” The midfielder asked for prayers and support for his family during this difficult time.

The 27-year-old says his wife’s cancer diagnosis is part of the reason for his extended absence. Back in March, the midfielder injured his hamstring. He hasn’t returned to play since.

He says he appreciated being able to speak about what his family has gone through over the last couple of months.

“I know that I can talk very openly about it,” Löwen said. “Where I come from, it’s never as easy to talk about stuff like that, and as openly, because many times it gets seen as a weakness, and then you’re not being real.”

Löwen said he’s received support from his teammates, coaches, the St. Louis City front office, and the church community. The soccer club is currently ninth in MLS’s Western Conference standings with 16 points heading into their match this Saturday with FC Cincinnati.

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