The inaugural season for St. Louis CITY SC was one for the record books.
From jaw-dropping goals to game-saving stops, the new club offered plenty of memorable moments during its debut campaign in Major League Soccer. Before we turn the page to Year 2, here are the highlights of 2023, ordered chronologically.
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The first game
It would have been difficult to imagine a better debut for the newcomers. CITY’s 3-2 victory at Austin on February 25 had a little bit of everything: an impressive first goal off the head of Tim Parker (who immediately followed the score with a memorable announcement that he and his wife, Kelsey, were expecting their first child), a dramatic equalizer from Jared Stroud, and a rousing, high-skill finish from João Klauss that put St. Louis in front for good in the 86th minute. Regardless of the result, the first match of CITY’s inaugural season was bound to be one for the St. Louis sports memory book. CITY, though, made an especially positive first impression. The club played fast, looked in synch, and provided a preview of all of the skill, energy, and finesse that was to follow over the next eight months.
CITYPARK opens (for real)
The new stadium’s soft opening in November 2022 was a night that was years in the making. But it wasn’t until the senior squad made its first appearance in the new digs on March 4 that all of this started to feel very real. MLS commissioner Don Garber was on hand to help CITY officials christen the stadium, where 22,423 fans packed in and screamed and sang until their throats were dry to help will CITY to its second victory. Five minutes into first-half stoppage time, Eduard Löwen put CITY in front with a penalty shot strike that marked the club’s first home goal in its short history.
A decisive road victory in Salt Lake City
The 4-0 win against Real Salt Lake allowed CITY to maintain its perfect start to the season with a 5-0-0 record. There were, of course, goals by Klauss, who scored twice, Niko Gioacchini, and Rasmus Alm. But perhaps the most lasting memory of the match was a tricky stop made by goalkeeper Roman Bürki late in the first half. Bürki’s athletic, lunging save turned away a scoring chance by Salt Lake striker Brayan Vera and preserved a 0-0 moments before halftime. During an all-league season for the veteran goalie, Bürki came up with so many important saves for CITY. This was one of the first highlight-reel denials, and a preview of all that was to come.
CITY battens down the hatches before dispatching Cincinnati
A 5-1 victory over the eventual Supporters Shield winners was impressive in its own right. But the night of April 15 also required patience. Severe thunderstorms in the St. Louis region forced CITY and FC Cincinnati to wait through a two-hour delay, during which players found creative ways to pass the time. As tornado sirens wailed outside the facility, CITY hunkered down inside its dressing room. Kyle Hiebert and Ben Lundt squared off in chess, Tim Parker commandeered the television remote and flipped through other televised MLS matches, and Eduard Löwen and João Klauss chatted with wonder about the weather system that was lurking just outside the doors. “Klauss and I wanted to go outside and look around,” Löwen said. “We don’t have tornadoes in Germany. I didn’t really know what to expect.” Eventually, the game kicked off and CITY imposed its will on one of the top teams in the league.
St. Louis’ first derby victory
From the moment CITY’s inaugural schedule was revealed last December, the May 20 home match against Sporting Kansas City was circled in bold red. The first meeting between the natural rivals carried extra weight for local fans, particularly after a trademark dispute involving an independent CITY podcast added some extra salt and pepper to the banter between fans. On the field, St. Louis made its supporters proud during a 4-0 victory over SKC. The night saw an especially impressive performance from Indiana Vassilev, who scored twice and set up a penalty for Eduard Löwen, who converted in the 19th minute. For Roman Bürki, it was his third clean sheet of the season.
Miguel Perez’s first MLS goal
Shortly after turning 18 on April 28, Perez scored his first professional goal during a 2-1 U.S. Open Cup loss at Chicago on May 9. But his first MLS strike on May 27 may have been even more special. Not only was it his first goal in the league, it came at home mere days following his graduation from Pattonville High School. The fans at CITYPARK erupted in celebration of the Homegrown midfielder, saluting one of their own.
Eduard Löwen’s goal against Vancouver
Picking St. Louis’s goal of the year is a challenge. But if we had to single out only one, it has to be Löwen’s jaw-dropping strike off a set piece in the 3-1 victory over Vancouver on May 27. Just watch:
Sam Adeniran returns to the club with a brace
Adeniran appeared in only four matches with CITY before the club loaned him to San Antonio FC of the USL Championship in late April. But with Klauss sidelined with a quad injury two months later, sporting director Lutz Pfannenstiel made the decision to recall Adeniran to boost St. Louis’ forward depth. Adeniran had just finished training in San Antonio when his agent called to tell him that CITY needed him to meet the team in San Jose as soon as possible. The 25-year-old hurried to pack his bags, and eventually rejoined the club in time for dinner in California ahead of the next day’s match against the San Jose Earthquakes. Adeniran made the whirlwind adventure worthwhile by supplying both goals in St. Louis’ 2-1 win, including his first at the MLS level. Across the second half of the season, Adeniran became a significant contributor in the CITY attack.
Clinchmas
On September 20, a win over LAFC would have put CITY into the MLS Cup Playoffs. But a scoreless draw against the defending champs meant St. Louis’ wait for a postseason berth would continue. Luckily for CITY, it wasn’t a long wait. The club received a boost later that same night when the Los Angeles Galaxy polished off a win over Minnesota United, allowing CITY to clinch a playoff berth from the comforts of home. In qualifying for the postseason, CITY became the third MLS expansion team to tally at least 50 points and make the playoffs during an inaugural season. As for CITY’s playoff experience? We don’t talk about that anymore.
CITY tops Sporting Kansas City to set MLS expansion record
The 4-1 win on September 30 wasn’t just another memorable result in the young rivalry with Kansas City. For St. Louis, it was the club’s 17th of the season, setting the MLS record for most wins by an expansion club. The victory was also CITY’s 11th home win of the year, tying the club with Atlanta United for the most home victories by an expansion club.
