Tim Parker was finishing a round of golf with a group of buddies on November 11 when he got the call. The Houston Dynamo were trading him to Major League Soccer’s newest expansion club, St. Louis CITY SC.
“I found out during my bachelor party in Memphis,” Parker says. “It was a bit of a shock. It wasn’t really the best timing for that type of news, but it was good to be with all my friends when I found out.”
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Although the news caught Parker off guard, the prospect of a fresh start quickly became appealing. The 30-year-old had captained Houston through two tough, losing seasons. A change, Parker thought, might be beneficial. His buddies agreed.
“My friends were all really encouraging because they weren’t necessarily happy with me being down in Houston because we weren’t winning a lot,” Parker admits. “They thought a change of scenery could be good and so did I.”
Parker was right. In St. Louis, he’s found the new beginning he needed. At the same time, his personal reset has helped CITY to a record-setting start of its own. The club sits atop Major League Soccer’s Supporters’ Shield standings after Saturday’s runaway victory over FC Cincinnati, and Parker’s experience and competitive nature are major reasons why.
“I was happy to reach out to Tim to get him on board here because he brings a great mentality to training and he’s a loud voice in the locker room,” says City’s head coach, Bradley Carnell. “He’s seen success in this league and he’s immensely committed to the principles and the philosophy we’re trying to foster here.”
It wasn’t always obvious that Parker’s path would lead him here. After breaking in with the Vancouver Whitecaps in 2015, Parker soon established himself as one of the most consistent center backs in MLS. He was a key member of the New York Red Bulls team that went to the 2018 Eastern Conference Finals. That squad featured a relentless defense that posted a league-leading 15 shutouts and allowed the fewest goals. Parker’s contributions earned him a look with the United States Men’s National Team, with which he made a pair of appearances that year. Red Bulls fans thought Parker might move on to somewhere like England. Instead, the Long Island, New York native accepted a raise to continue playing in his own backyard.
But when the Red Bulls opted for a youth movement, they traded Parker to Houston in early 2021 for $450,000 in General Allocation Money. For Parker, the move came with challenges. Houston finished in the Western Conference cellar during both of his seasons with the club. Understandably, morale was low.
“Whenever you’re not winning it’s always really, really tough,” Parker says. “I was one of the leaders on the team in Houston, and it’s really hard to wrap your head around why you’re losing and what you can do better.”
While Parker was partying with his friends and toasting his future last November, CITY was making plans on his behalf. Immediately after wrapping up the MLS Expansion Draft, St. Louis traded $500,000 in GAM to Houston to acquire the veteran defender. Parker learned quickly that St. Louis was well prepared to field an MLS team. The club’s downtown stadium and commitment to building the team with the right pieces further impressed him.
“Having our sporting director (Lutz Pfannenstiel) come in early to scout the players he wanted to have on a team together was huge,” Parker says. “Many of the guys from overseas got here last summer to get acclimated way in advance of the season.”
There were also some familiar faces already in the mix with his new club. Parker reunited with Carnell, who served as an assistant and interim head coach in New York. He also played with winger Jared Stroud with the Red Bulls, and with right back Jake Nerwinski in Vancouver. Parker has also embraced the many new teammates that he’s met since arriving in St. Louis.
“At this point in my career, being on a young team, I’m happy to take on a leadership role,” Parker says. “I’ve tried my best to explain my experiences in the league to the guys because there’s a learning curve in MLS.”
CITY defender Lucas Bartlett can attest. Bartlett, a fellow St. John’s University alumnus who made his MLS debut earlier this season, has formed a bond with Parker.
“He’s someone that pushes you to be the best version of yourself,” Bartlett says. “He’s been a great mentor to me. The other day he sat and went over some game film with me, giving me pointers and talking about different scenarios.”
Parker also leads by doing. Just go back to the earliest moments of CITY’s inaugural season. Parker etched his name in St. Louis sports history by scoring the first goal in club history on February 25. After finding the back of the net during that eventual 3-2 CITY victory in Austin, Parker announced another new beginning: He picked up the ball and stuffed it inside his jersey as a way to announce that he and his wife, Kelsey, are expecting a baby.
“It was one of those ‘what if’ moments,” Parker says. “I don’t really score a lot of goals, but we were basically telling a lot of our friends and family that we were expecting.”
The Parkers are enjoying their newlywed life in Clayton. They rented a place in the St. Louis suburb in January, and have quickly taken to their new neighborhood. The couple has immersed themselves in the local dining scene, frequenting places like Wright’s Tavern, Louie and indo.
“It’s been really nice to move into this town and see how much everybody loves and cares about their sports,” Parker says. “It’s been a really good transition, aside from getting used to the cold again.”
Other than needing more sweaters, Parker is getting exactly what he was hoping for from the move.
“What I’ve seen from Tim is the same thing I saw from him when we worked together with the Red Bulls,” Carnell says. “He’s a player with tremendous character on and off the field. He needed a hard restart to launch the second phase of his career.”
