When Caden Glover entered Saturday’s match at Chicago in the 77th minute, St. Louis CITY SC head coach Bradley Carnell had some quick advice for the 16-year-old.
“As he ran in, I just said, ‘Chase every ball down and try to create a bit of havoc in the box,’” Carnell said.
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For Glover, merely stepping onto the field represented a milestone moment. The first player in club history to sign a Major League Soccer Homegrown contract, which elevates a player from the academy system to the first team, Glover made his long-awaited MLS debut during this past weekend’s defeat. Although it took several weeks and a recovery from a lingering calf injury for Glover to reach such a moment, his arrival represents another early victory for CITY’s academy program.
“We believe in homegrowns, and we believe in the development of our academy,” Carnell said. “So we see this as a big success moving forward.”
CITY sporting director Lutz Pfannenstiel and head coach Bradley Carnell have been deliberate in taking their time with young players, giving them a taste of what succeeding at the highest level requires without completely throwing youngsters into the deep end before they’re ready to contribute. But when a player is ready to help, CITY has demonstrated that its willing to let that player prove it. Just look at Miguel Perez.
Now, Glover is in a somewhat similar position as his teammate Perez. Although Glover played only 13 minutes during his debut, his outing represented the first step toward something greater. Glover has been on this path for some time. Already a buzzy name in U.S. Youth National circles, Glover scored his first international goal for the U-15 squad last season. He also netted the game-winning strike against Belgium during the 2022 Torneo delle Nazioni, a cheeky finish that saw him knock the ball past the Belgian defenders before easily sending the ball into the back of the net.
Saturday’s arrival made Glover the first player born in 2007 to make his MLS debut. For some, it might feel disconcerting knowing that CITY is fielding a player born the same year that the Judd Apatow flick Superbad entered the American cultural zeitgeist. That being said, having a player as young and talented as Glover adds another exciting wrinkle to CITY’s inaugural season.
He’s been growing quickly, continuing his development this spring while shaking off his calf injury. There are already high expectations being thrown his way, but Glover is capable of meeting them. He’s proven his goal-scoring ability at every level thus far, working as a skillful contributor with on-the-ball flair that can keep defenders second-guessing themselves.
Making his MLS debut is the next checkpoint for Glover as he strives to become the clinical, dynamic attacker that CITY—and U.S. Soccer—believe he can be.
“These experiences are valuable for him,” Carnell said. “He’ll take one step forward, too, when he comes back around with us, or plays down at CITY2, or with his own relevant age group. These are magical moments for our club.”
