MLS Preview: St. Louis City SC
St. Louis City SC's debut season in 2023 was the culmination of many, many years of 'close but no cigar,' 'better luck next time,' and 'you were THIS close' messages from the MLS brass. In 2007 the city was floated as a possible relocation place for Real Salt Lake in that owner's negotiations/threats to build a new stadium. An unsuccessful bid ensued in 2009, the MLS favoring other cities over St. Louis despite approved construction plans for a huge soccer complex. In 2014 there was ANOTHER bid tied to a dual-use stadium for the future club and the NFL Rams franchise. The Rams moved to Los Angeles in 2015, and everyone went back to the drawing board.
Finally, after two years of negotiation, the club was officially granted a franchise in late 2019, with their inaugural season scheduled for 2022. Well, along came COVID, which slowed but did not halt the stadium construction. It did, however, push their season starter to 2023. And it was worth the wait.
St. Louis City SC didn't just hit the ground running, they barely touched ground before taking flight. Under sporting director Lutz Pfannenstiel and coach Bradley Carnell they played a furious, pressing style of dynamic, risk-reward soccer. It was brilliant and exciting. They broke four MLS records for an expansion team, and tied one other (see the Other Facts section for details) in 2023, cruising into the postseason having won the Western Conference. Unfortunately, they were crushed in the first round of the playoffs.
City SC are the only female-majority owned team in the MLS. Carolyn Kindle, president of Enterprise Holders, and Jo Ann Taylor, also an Enterprise Holders executive (both are heirs to the Enterprise Rent-a-Car fortune) have the controlling stake. Jim Kavanaugh, CEO of World Wide Technology, is a minority partner.
With two seasons under their belt, there's a short list to pick from.
Indiana Vassilev (United States) – Midfielder
Current record holder for most appearances (75).
Roman Bürki (Switzerland) [DP] – Goalkeeper
2023 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year winner.
Current team captain.
João Klauss (Brazil) – Forward [DP]
The club's first Designated Player.
Scored the winning goal in their debut match against Austin FC.
Top goal scorer for the club (15).
Play home games at Energizer Park, capacity 22,423.
They have vibrant and rowdy supporters, including:
St. Louligans (the oldest supporter group, founded in 2010)
St. Louis CITY Punks
No Nap City Ultras (composed of parents and mostly young children)
STL Santos (for Spanish speakers)
Fleur de Noise (a drum corps providing percussion support to chants)
Below are the records the team set in 2023
First expansion team to win all five opening games (inclusive of winning four opening games).
Most wins by an expansion team (17).
First expansion team to win their division in their debut season.
Tied – Most goal scorers for an expansion team in their debut season (16)
Though not recognized as a formal derby, given their regional proximity there's a rivalry between Sporting Kansas City.
After the record-breaking 2023 campaign, 2024 was going to be an uphill battle. They once again started with five undefeated games; the rub was that four of them were draws. After that, the hill turned out to be a cliff, and the squad just couldn't scale it.
Coach Carnell was fired on July 1.
The team's record was a limp 8W – 13D – 13L for 37 points
Finished in.12th place in the Western Conference; 24th overall
A mighty, mighty collapse, to say the least
St. Louis had a very busy mid-season transfer window during which they cleaned house, so this offseason has been relatively quiet. They have a new coach, Swede Olof Mellberg from IF Brommapojkarna, but only two new faces hit the roster, highlighted below:
Timo Baumgartl (Germany) – Defender
The 28-year old center back is the product of the Stuttgart academy, but hasn't seen much starting time since 2019 when he transferred to PSV.
Conrad Wallem (Norway) – Midfielder
He's on loan from Slavia Prague with an option to buy, so that means he should be eager to impress.
He's apparently comfortable on the wing in an attack or defensive alignment.
Host the Colorado Rapids on Feb. 22nd
Sporting Kansas City
Seattle Sounders
San Jose Earthquakes
Real Salt Lake
Portland Timbers
Minnesota United FC
LAFC
LA Galaxy
Houston Dynamo
FC Dallas
Colorado Rapids
Austin FC
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
17 minutes ago
- Yahoo
NBA Executive Makes Bold Claim Regarding Bronny James' Role With The Lakers Next Season
NBA Executive Makes Bold Claim Regarding Bronny James' Role With The Lakers Next Season originally appeared on Fadeaway World. Bronny James' NBA career with the Los Angeles Lakers didn't get off to the greatest of starts, but he did show some promise in the latter stages of his rookie season. James had some solid showings and impressed in the G League, and a Western Conference Executive believes the Lakers want him to be part of the rotation next season. Advertisement "I don't think there's any doubt that's their plan," one Western Conference executive said. "I know the guy gets a lot of grief because of who his dad is, but we've seen a lot of tape on (Bronny) and the fact is, he was a lot better player in April than he was in October, and definitely in July." There is no denying that James improved a fair bit. The early signs were so bad that the Lakers were hammered for selecting the former USC guard with the 55th pick of the 2024 NBA Draft. James averaged 8.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game for the Lakers in the Summer League. He was very inefficient, too, as he shot 35.0% from the field and 15.8% from beyond the arc. Things didn't get much better in the preseason either. James averaged 4.2 points, 1.7 rebounds, 0.3 assists, 0.5 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game while shooting 29.7% from the field and 8.3% from three. Advertisement That provided James' doubters with ammunition to claim he did not belong in the NBA and that he had only made it in because he is LeBron James' son. There was an avalanche of criticism coming his way, but he did eventually start playing better. James would end up averaging 21.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 1.9 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game for the South Bay Lakers in the G League. He was a bit more efficient, too, shooting 44.0% from the field and 38.0% from beyond the arc. While some might dismiss G League performances, we are talking about someone who looked out of place in the Summer League at one point. James had taken some big strides, and the executive is backing him to be a regular for the Lakers in 2025-26. "He's 20 years old," the executive stated. "He had a whole year where his development was thrown all out of whack. But he can defend the perimeter, and he showed he can shoot the 3. Advertisement "If he can show that wasn't a fluke, he is going to start getting 10, 15 minutes a night because the team is going to feel like they can trust him," the executive added. "I think he is going to do all that. He is going to be a regular for them next year." This executive isn't the only one with this belief. Lakers insider Dave McMenamin thinks James could be a rotation player by midseason. That might be a bit too soon for the 20-year-old, though. James has shown some promise on the defensive end, and the outside shot is falling with greater regularity, but he didn't even come close to cracking the Lakers' rotation as a rookie. It was only when the team had an injury crisis that he got meaningful minutes on the court. If the Lakers were in rebuild mode in 2025-26, then maybe James, who averaged 2.3 points, 0.7 rebounds, 0.8 assists, and 0.3 steals per game as a rookie, could have been part of the rotation. They aspire to be serious title contenders, though, and you've got to be a pretty good NBA player to play significant minutes for a team like that. Related: LeBron James' Message To Bronny James Post Lakers Playoff Exit: "I'll See You When I See You" This story was originally reported by Fadeaway World on May 31, 2025, where it first appeared.
Bloomberg
17 minutes ago
- Bloomberg
Spain Makes First Payment in Lengthy Fight Over Renewable Energy
The Spanish government made its first payment as a result of an arbitration decision in 2021 around the country's move to change investor incentives tied to renewable energy projects, following a number of lengthy legal battles between Spain and various creditors. An entity called Blasket Renewable Investments, which petitioned a claim against the country in the US, notified a US federal court on Wednesday that Spain had 'fully satisfied' a final judgment ordering the payment, court documents show, without specifying how much was paid.
Yahoo
32 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Shaquille O'Neal Predicts Winner of Pacers-Thunder NBA Finals
Shaquille O'Neal Predicts Winner of Pacers-Thunder NBA Finals originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The NBA Finals are now set, and with Game 1 tipping off Thursday night on ABC, anticipation is building as the Eastern Conference champion Indiana Pacers look to pull off a major upset against the Western Conference champion Oklahoma City Thunder, who finished the regular season with a league-best 68–14 record. Advertisement The odds are certainly stacked against Indiana, who enter the series as plus-650 underdogs, according to DraftKings Sportsbook. That said, the Pacers have embraced the underdog role all postseason. Aside from their first-round matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks, they've been doubted in each series—yet beat the Cleveland Cavaliers in five games and the New York Knicks in six. Now, with Game 1 just days away, NBA legend and Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal appeared on Travis and Jason Kelce's "New Heights" podcast and shared his prediction for the Finals. While he appears to be leaning toward OKC, he suggested it might be a lot more competitive than some expect. 'I think it's going to be an interesting Finals... Now you've got Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who's the best player in the league, and you've got Tyrese Haliburton on the other side... I think it's gonna be very exciting," O'Neal said. "I think it'll either be a sweep or a close series—OKC wins 4–2.' He continued, 'I think it's gonna be fun to watch. You've got two young teams... but right now I think OKC has the nod. But Indiana's not gonna quit.' NBA analyst and former player Shaquille O'Neal. Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images This season, the Pacers and Thunder faced off twice—and both times, it was Oklahoma City who came out on top in high-scoring matchups. The Thunder won 120–114 on December 26, and their second meeting ended in blowout fashion, with OKC defeating Indiana 132–111 to sweep the season series. Advertisement Oklahoma City enters Game 1 as 9 1/2-point favorites on their home floor. Regardless of the outcome, history is set to be made, as neither the Pacers nor the Thunder have ever won an NBA championship. One of these franchises will be crowned for the first time. Related: Charles Barkley Predicts Winner of Pacers-Thunder NBA Finals This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 4, 2025, where it first appeared.
