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.
From a historic opportunity to familiar faces and a remarkable turnaround, here are the biggest storylines as CITY SC looks to claim its first trophy Wednesday.
Fresh off a historic hat trick against the LA Galaxy, the Danish midfielder is hitting his stride as CITY SC looks to break the MLS unbeaten streak record and clinch a playoff berth.
With a 19-match unbeaten streak across all competitions, Yoann Damet’s surging squad can tie an MLS record against the LA Galaxy—but the manager remains focused on what got CITY SC here in the first place.
After struggling to finish chances early in the season, Becher has emerged as one of the league’s hottest scorers and a key piece of CITY’s revamped attack ahead of the U.S. Open Cup final.
As the St. Louis native is honored during the national team’s return home, his absence from the latest roster underscores a broader changing of the guard for U.S. Soccer.
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.