There will be postseason soccer in St. Louis this month.
CITY2 made sure of it.
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The St. Louis developmental squad has secured at least one round of playoff action at CITYPARK, locking down hosting rights in style during the final month of the MLS Next Pro regular season. Head coach Bobby Murphy’s squad went 6-2-2 over the final 10 matches, outscoring opponents 26-13 and winning the right to choose LAFC 2 as its opponent on Sunday. The match kicks off at 2 p.m., and airs on Apple TV.
For second-seeded CITY2, the decision to play fifth-seeded LAFC 2 in the quarterfinal round provides an intriguing matchup for the hometown club. CITY2 has never lost to LAFC 2, which enters the postseason on a three-game skid.
CITY 2, meanwhile, is riding a wave of confidence into the tournament after punctuating the regular season schedule with a 5-0 win over Tacoma on Decision Day—a victory that featured goals from Mykhi Joyner, Caden Glover, Dida Armstrong, and Johnny Klein. It was a statement win that also featured Hosei Kijima in an advanced role through the midfield, while Tyson Pearce reprised his fill-in role at left back. That positional intrigue speaks to CITY’s philosophy of giving Homegrown players larger roles while the club integrates older players looking to take advantage of new opportunities.
The experience of participating in playoff soccer should pay dividends for those Homegrown talents, too. Pearce, Glover, and Joyner—along with Academy player Ryan Dugan, who appeared in the CITY2 regular season finale—are looking forward to first-team opportunities next season. The chance to play high-stakes matches in front of large crowds at CITYPARK will only help players such as those prepare for more dramatic moments to come in MLS.
“These players know it’s an incredible opportunity,” Murphy said last month, reflecting on the unique environment at CITYPARK for players in MLS Next Pro. Heading into the playoffs, CITY2 hopes that CITYPARK’s hunger for playoff soccer can give it an added edge as the team looks to avenge last year’s first-round loss.
Zooming in, Murphy has to be happy with Joyner’s continued growth. The forward finished second in the Next Pro Golden Boot race with 16 goals, and tied for the league lead with 20 goal contributions. Those haven’t even been the only highlights for Joyner this season: His recent U.S. Youth National Team U-19 call-up was another boost to his resume. Joyner appeared in both matches with the national team, scoring a gorgeous free kick in Tuesday’s match vs. Japan.
With all of his week-after-week success in 2024, Joyner might be ready to level up next year. And he might not be the only one on CITY2’s roster who is ready for a new challenge in 2025. Pearce, Glover, and others are also on the first-team radar as the club approaches the offseason.
For CITY2, its success this season feels all the more impressive when you consider all of the roster upheaval players and coaches have had to navigate. It’s a seemingly ever-changing group in an ever-changing league. And yet, one thing remains constant: CITY2 is a postseason regular in Next Pro.
Sunday will be CITY2’s third playoff appearance in as many years, including the team’s loss in the 2022 finals to Columbus Crew 2. Of course, that was a much different group. Célio Pompeu was CITY2’s lone goalscorer for the John Hackworth-coached squad that final day in 2022.
The 2025 edition of CITY2 will assuredly navigate plenty of turnover, too. That’s the nature of the league. But roster construction can wait. For now, Sunday’s home playoff match at CITYPARK gives supporters an opportunity to enjoy at least one more special day of CITY soccer in St. Louis this year.
