The news arrived as a shock last Friday: St. Louis CITY SC traded fan favorite Tim Parker to the New England Revolution for 26-year-old center back Henry Kessler. Parker, of course, was the club’s first vice captain. He scored CITY’s first goal and even outsold LA Galaxy star Riqui Puig in jersey sales.
More, however, goes into roster decisions than kit sales and fan sentiment.
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With Parker’s contract expiring at the end of the season—and extension talks in a stall—CITY sporting director Lutz Pfanennstiel made the decision to ship Parker and $600,000 in General Allocation Money to New England for Kessler, a player Pfannenstiel has coveted for years.
When MLS play resumes on August 24, Kessler will have an immediate opportunity to step in and show why CITY brass have been so fond of his skill set.
“It’s fantastic to play for a team that believes in me; to be with a team that believes in me,” said Kessler, who received a warm welcome when he was introduced at CITYPARK this past weekend. “When I talked to Lutz, he told me the same thing. It means a lot to hear that. It’s a great crowd, great stadium. It’s going to be so nice to play on grass. It’s not something I’m taking for granted.”
At 6-foot-4, Kessler brings additional height to the backline, while improving the defense’s ability to block shot attempts. Kessler’s poise on the ball puts him in the 95th percentile of take-ons and successful passes out of the defensive third. Kessler also offers interim head coach John Hackworth an upgrade at center back, especially as Joakim Nilsson’s recurring hamstring injury keeps him out of the lineup.
“Having the option to bring in Kessler, who is a young center back who played for the United States before and has higher potential, and has a much longer contract, it was one of those things where we have to look at all the good and the bad and the decision was made to let Parker go without taking away anything he did for the club,” Pfannenstiel told KMOX over the weekend.
There will be pressure on Kessler as soon as he steps on the field for CITY.
The club has to hit the ground running when it resumes the MLS season in Portland later this month. CITY features a drastically improved roster that could earn better results, but the club has dug a large hole for itself as it looks up at the final playoff spot.
To his credit, Kessler is ready for the pressure—and for the chance to take advantage of a fresh start in a city that was eager to bring him in.
“There’s still time to turn it around,” he said. “I got to play with a lot of the guys who didn’t play major minutes [Sunday] night so that was great. Getting to see the guys who played, I was really impressed with the group and I look forward to getting to play with all of them.”
