Although the Major League Soccer season is long, it’s not too early to make a declaration: For St. Louis CITY SC, Jared Stroud has been a revelation.
CITY acquired the 26-year-old winger from Austin FC for $100,000 in General Allocation Money last November, a move that allowed Austin to shed a player for whom it didn’t have much use. At the time, it made sense. Stroud had a solid first season in Austin as a rotation player in 2021, but saw his playing time and contributions fall off last year. He didn’t log any points, while appearing in merely five matches.
Are you a CITY SC fan?
Subscribe to the CITY Scene newsletter to get a fan’s guide to the pro soccer scene in St. Louis.
Stroud clearly needed a reset. In St. Louis, the league’s newest expansion team believed it could give him the jolt he required.
That’s partly because CITY had some inside information on Stroud, who had played under St. Louis head coach Bradley Carnell with the New York Red Bulls. Although Stroud had struggled as his tenure in Austin unfolded, Carnell still saw a player who fit the system that he was installing in St. Louis.
“Jared is a workaholic,” Carnell says. “… Jared is feisty, he wins his battles, he wins his duels, and he operates on both sides of the ball.” Carnell says.
LOOKING FOR MORE CITY SC COVERAGE? SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE CITY SCENE NEWSLETTER.
Stroud has rewarded his coach’s faith across the first 10 games of the MLS schedule, turning in some of the consistent performances of any member of CITY’s roster. With three goals and two assists thus far, Stroud is demonstrating his value as a key contributor. The club is 3-0-1 this season when the New Jersey native chips in a goal or an assist.
He’s a hard-working player who possesses what some might consider a deceptive level of skill. Stroud has also proven to be versatile enough to play—and play well—on both the left and right sides of the field.
“I like coming in on the left side and cutting in and shooting,” Stroud says. “But I also realize I can play right wing-back. I can drop in closer to Jake [Nerwinski] and help change the formation that way. It kind of depends on what Brad wants, but for me, as long as I’m out there, I’m happy. Whatever I can do to help the team is most important.”
During a 1-1 draw at Colorado two weeks ago, Stroud was involved in CITY’s two biggest opportunities of the night, connecting with Rasmus Alm for an assist on St. Louis’ lone goal. It was further evidence of the rapport Stroud has developed with his teammates, and the comfort he’s felt playing in Carnell’s familiar system.
“Now [we’re seeing him] start showing quality in the final third, whether it’s goal scoring or assists,” Carnell says. “We know he can do it all over in levels that he’s played at. To do it consistently at the MLS [level] is taking his game to another level.”
So far, it seems Stroud is a good fit for all of the things CITY wishes to do. Although Carnell wants to see him contribute over a larger sample size, the St. Louis coach is pleased with the initial results of Stroud’s bounce-back campaign.
“It’s still early in the season,” Carnell says. “If we look after 30 matchdays and he’s still contributing at the level that he is, then we’ll say he’s proven it at USL, and now he’s proven it in the MLS. But he’s on the right curve, and on the right pathway.”
