It’s Friday, which means it’s almost matchday! As we prepare for the monumental leap we’ve been dreaming for years and decades, let’s take this opportunity to think about how we got here. Pretty soon, St. Louis City SC will be a reality. We’ll have tactics to break down. We’ll have wins to celebrate, losses to scrutinize, and draws to explain to casual onlookers. But for now, let’s look at what’s going on around St. Louis City SC, get a good night’s rest, and be ready to cheer on our boys on Saturday.
Meet the Owners
The illustrious Ben Fredrickson (BenFred) wrote a touching note in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch to the titans of St. Louis who made St. Louis City SC a reality. I’ll let his words speak for themselves.
Playoffs (Finally) Set
MLS has unveiled its new playoff structure just in time for the season to get started. The Athletic breaks it down, and it’s…something. I get the idea, but like many others I’m not convinced on the execution. We’ll see how it plays out.
I-70 Rivalry Reborn?
What do you get when you combine a river city along I-70 with an ambitious ownership group that wants to grow Major League Soccer both in the local region and the United States as a whole? You get St. Louis City SC. You Get Sporting KC. You get…Indy Eleven? That’s right - our onetime USL compatriots are breaking ground in May on their own stadium. Is it just me, or does the capacity of 20,000 scream MLS? Only time will tell. (It will also be the closest MLS stadium to CITYPARK, assuming it becomes an MLS stadium.)
Local Kids
Caden Glover was joined by Miguel Perez this week as the first two Homegrown contracts in St. Louis City SC history. The respective 15-year-old and 17-year-old are shining stars in what has been a promising academy so far, with CITY2 proving themselves one of the best teams in MLS NEXT Pro last season.
National Opportunity
Just a few weeks after St. Louis City SC plays its first match at CITYPARK, the venue will host the U. S. Women’s National Team as they take on the Republic of Ireland. What a massive opportunity for the city of St. Louis to immediately show its new soccer-specific facilities off on the international stage!
Shameless Self-Plug
From the desk of yours truly, let’s look at what the club has outlined for itself as the foundations of what will make St. Louis City SC a successful operation.
Let’s all have a great weekend, and I’ll see you next week as we get ready for our first-ever home match!
Want to talk St. Louis City SC and all things soccer? Come find @StLFooty on Twitter!