Justin Horneker has contributed to St. Louis Magazine since St. Louis CITY SC’s inaugural season in 2023. Since then, he has explored the environment around CITY SC while providing analysis and player interviews for the CITY SCene newsletter. Horneker has covered everything from the action on the pitch to the people that work hard to make the St. Louis soccer landscape special. Horneker previously contributed for sites such as Backheeled, Equalizer Soccer, Runner’s World, and MLSSoccer.com.
After living around the world and starring at Georgetown and in MLS NEXT Pro, the promising midfielder has reunited with sporting director Corey Wray—and begun making his mark with CITY2 and the first team.
Brazilian striker Rafael Navarro is reportedly on his way to St. Louis for a fee north of $12 million, a move that would make him the centerpiece of a dramatic roster overhaul that has transformed CITY SC into a Western Conference contender.
After struggling through the first half of the season, Wallem used the World Cup break to recharge and rethink his role. He returned with a clearer tactical understanding—and has emerged as a key piece of CITY’s summer surge.
Sporting director Corey Wray and manager Yoann Damet are reshaping CITY SC’s recruitment strategy, using a player-first approach and an improving on-field product to attract marquee signings, with more moves potentially still to come.
The Czech midfielder’s game-winning strike capped a long road back from injury and underscored his growing importance during St. Louis’ winning streak.
After nearly eight weeks off, CITY SC resumes MLS play Thursday against Sporting Kansas City with momentum, roster flexibility, and confidence that manager Yoann Damet’s system is beginning to take hold.
As the United States prepares to face Belgium tonight, coach Kevin Kalish reflects on the Billikens’ decades-long influence on American soccer, from Brian McBride to captain Tim Ream.
