Two years ago, Roman Bürki lost his job with Borussia Dortmund. Twelve months ago, Tim Parker’s career was stagnating in Houston.
This week, both players are being recognized among the MLS’ best.
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Hours after CITY’s 3-0 victory over Inter Miami on Saturday night, Bürki and Parker boarded a flight for Washington, D.C. to join the MLS All-Stars for a few days of revelry, fanfare, and international competition in the league’s annual mid-summer showcase. When the MLS stars face off against Arsenal tonight at Audi Field, Bürki and Parker will take their rightful places among the best players the league has to offer.
There were no guarantees either player would reach this point. Yet, in short order, Bürki and Parker have established themselves as the pillars of MLS’ newest club, earned captaincy responsibilities in St. Louis, and helped lift CITY to the top of the Western Conference.
“[These are] massive moments in their careers,” CITY head coach Bradley Carnell said last month. “Roman comes off a stretch of not playing for many months at Dortmund, then we get him here early for six months. It’s almost a two-year stretch where he hasn’t gotten consistent game rhythm. So we’ve given him a platform to show the rest of the world, the rest of the Bundesliga, and whoever’s looking what he can still offer. Tim Parker… in Houston it didn’t quite go his way. I know he enjoyed it there, but from a sporting perspective, it didn’t go his way. We were also able to provide him a platform, maybe a philosophy, maybe a style of play that suits him and gets him back to his old ways.”
Indeed, a lot has changed for Bürki and Parker in a relatively short period. Both have found their careers rejuvenated in St. Louis.
After falling out of favor with Dortmund in Germany’s top flight in 2021, Bürki has been everything St. Louis hoped he would be in goal for CITY. The 32-year-old Swiss keeper leads with a commanding, assertive presence on the field, while swatting shots with the best of them. He recorded his seventh clean sheet of the season in Saturday’s win, tying him for the fifth-most in the league at the break. Meanwhile, Bürki’s 85 saves are tied for the second-most in MLS.
“He’s great,” Carnell says. “He’s earned himself this All-Star call-up. He’s earned himself momentum through his performances—a resurrection of his career, as well. He’s still young enough to add many years to his career. He could have played anywhere in the world as a starter. We were fortunate enough to grab him.”
Bürki is relishing the opportunity to stand on the star-studded stage in D.C. this week. Having spent the entirety of his professional career in Europe prior to arriving in St. Louis last summer, Bürki has never participated in an all-star event. Doing so during this rebound season, and particularly against a club the caliber of Arsenal, has him feeling plenty excited.
“That’s even more exciting to play against a European top club like Arsenal,” Bürki says. “You play against [MLS competition] during the season anyway. That’s something that makes it even more attractive.”
Parker, too, is making the most of this week’s East Coast trip. On Monday, the veteran defender was one of eight MLS All-Stars to participate in a youth soccer clinic at the White House. Given how much he’s learned from navigating the crests and troughs of a nine-year MLS career, the 30-year-old is surely a qualified instructor.
This season, Parker has added a scoring touch to his game. Though it’s only a small part of what he brings to the table, Parker’s ability to contribute timely goals has been one of the more fun St. Louis storylines to follow this season. His header in the 40th minute of Saturday’s game was his third goal of the season—and one more than he scored across his first eight regular seasons combined.
“There’s not many guys as fearless and brave as Tim in the league,” Carnell says. “He’ll step through a brick wall if he has to for his team, and he’s done it a bunch of times. [For] a veteran in the league to get his first all-star call-up, it’s amazing.”
