Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
Saturday's matchup between St. Louis CITY SC and Sporting KC at Children's Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas had all of the makings of a proper derby.
The intensity was palpable from the moment the supporters marched into the stadium. Chants of “S-T-L, S-T-L” reverberated through the south side of the building, making CITY forward Sam Adeniran feel as if the team hadn’t left St. Louis. “It felt like CITYPARK out there,” Adeniran said after the club’s 2-1 defeat.
A road atmosphere like that had been bubbling for some time. Kansas City expected it, too, with the legions of traveling St. Louis supporters helping to push the stadium’s capacity to a regular season facility-record attendance of 21,650. Simply put, despite the end result, it was a match that meant so much to so many. After St. Louis drubbed SKC, 4-0, at CITYPARK in May, Kansas City got one back.
Now, the rivalry is on.
Although the Chicago vs. St. Louis rivalry has produced scores of memorable moments across several sports over the years, the Kansas City vs. St. Louis head-to-head matchups feel more personal. They are akin to sibling rivalries. In the case of CITY, the rivalry between it and SKC is all about which region can call itself the true Soccer Capital of the United States. The two cities thrive on their reputations as underdogs. In soccer, that’s meant that both clubs have adopted gritty, max-effort styles that reflect the cultures of their respective areas.
Photography by Justin Horneker
Saturday’s match sizzled under the spotlight from the opening kick. Adeniran’s early goal led to an electric celebration in front of the traveling CITY supporters, before SKC answered with an Alan Pulido first-half brace. Afterwards, St. Louis head coach Bradley Carnell lamented the club’s inability to capitalize on its opening goal. “We lost momentum throughout the game," he said.
Although the outcome wasn’t what CITY wanted, seeing the fan support, the pride, and how much the contest meant to both sides illustrates how important the next chapter of the rivalry will be.
“The baby [was] born three years ago, then to build an identity, a culture, to embrace the way we play throughout the city, then to travel in such numbers to the blue side of the state, it’s humbling and it’s a proud moment to see this,” Carnell said. “There is nothing more you could have wished for with the growth of this club over the past eight months.”
The final matchup between the two at CITYPARK on September 30 will be circled on the schedule, with both clubs desperately wanting to win the season series.
