60 things every St. Louis CITY SC fan should know

As St. Louis CITY SC kicks off its inaugural Major League Soccer season, there are lots of things about the region's new home team to be excited for. Here, we've compiled 60 of the most interesting and unique facts, figures, and tidbits about the club. Think of this guide as a crash course on all of the things a CITY fan ought to know during the 2023 campaign.

1. The team was originally set to debut during the 2022 Major League Soccer season. Absent a global pandemic, CITY’s squad would’ve debuted on the big league pitch this summer. The league decided in July 2020, however, that it would be best from a business standpoint to delay CITY’s inaugural season, allowing the franchise more time to plan its operations and finish construction on the downtown stadium.

2. The upcoming MLS season features several key dates relevant to CITY fans. Among the most notable matches on the near horizon:

• March 4 vs. Charlotte FC: Inaugural match at CITYPARK
• April 15 vs. FC Cincinnati: Expectations are high for Cincy, which is among the early favorites to win the East. How will they handle CITYPARK?
• May 20 vs. Sporting KC: The first of three matches against CITY's potential in-state rivals
• May 31 at LAFC: CITY will measure itself against the defending MLS Cup champions

3. You'll want to learn the CITY-specific chants. When you show up to the stadium, CITY wants you to make noise. Lots of noise. The drummers in the Fleur de Noise supporters group will be there to help. Fleur de Noise is already working on a list of songs to be played—and chanted—as situations dictate next season. You can find a full list of chants at the group's website. Among the selections:

Pregame

"St. Louis Is Wonderful" (performed to the tune of "When the Saints Go Marching In")

Oh St. Louis (Oh St. Louis)

Is wonderful (Is wonderful)

Oh St. Louis is wonderful

It's the home of the toasted ravioli

Oh St. Louis is wonderful

During the game

"We're St. Louis City" (performed to the tune of "We're Not Gonna Take It")

We're St. Louis City

Hey, we're St. Louis City

We're St. Louis City,

Who are you?

Oi, oi, oi oi oi!

Individual players

For goalkeeper Roman Bürki: "Bad Roman" (performed to the tune of "Bad Romance")

Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh

Blocked by our man, Roman,

Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh

Nothing gets past Roman!

Ro-man, Ro-ro-man,

Ro-man, Ro-ro-man,

Bur-ki, Oo-la-la,

He don't let nothing past!

4. Nearly every game will be played on either a Wednesday or Saturday night. MLS is shifting its schedule for the 2023 season, staging nearly all midweek games on Wednesday nights and nearly all weekend matches on Saturday nights. This, in large part, is a product of the league's new 10-year streaming deal with Apple, which will televise each match of the MLS season without any local blackouts. The lack of blackouts is the key here. As long as you have access to the MLS package on the Apple TV app, you'll be able to watch CITY play no matter where you are in the world. That's especially good news for local fans, who may find it tough to score a ticket to CITYPARK during the inaugural season. The format of the schedule breaks down like this:

• 26 Saturday games
• 5 Wednesday games
• 3 Sunday games
• 13 games at 7:30 p.m.
• 2 games at 8:30 p.m.
• 1 game at 12:00 p.m.

5. St. Louis CITY SC 2 began play in the MLS Next Pro development league last spring. While they waited for the top-tier team to kick off this year, hardcore fans followed the organization’s reserve team as it began competing in the MLS Next Pro league in 2022. Next Pro is a developmental division of Major League Soccer in which up-and-coming players are afforded the opportunity to learn organizational ideas and philosophies and grow their skills in a competitive environment. CITY 2, which saw cameos from players who were already signed to the main squad, advanced to the MLS Next Pro Cup. 

6. CITY is among the MLS teams to have its own custom adidas shoe. The sports apparel giant is selling limited edition Ultraboost X COPA shoes in the team’s colors of CITY Red, River Blue, and Energy Yellow. Five hundred pairs of the shoes were made available through the team's app. Fans can also purchase them through adidas' website.

7. The club is already working on a robust community outreach program. Start with the CITY Futures Program, which is designed to introduce soccer to more people in the St. Louis region. For decades, American soccer fans have been eager to grow the game in the United States. The Futures Program aims to do exactly that, offering a series of free pop-up clinics and instructional sessions to kids around the St. Louis region. There's also CITY Moves, a program that seeks input from diverse communities. With hopes of being inclusive of all backgrounds and experiences, the team has assembled a council of fans to consult the team on ways to make everyone feel welcome in the CITY fan base. The organization is currently asking for members of the LGBTQIA+ community, as well as allies, to reach out and make their voices heard.

8. Sporting director Lutz Pfannenstiel may be the most interesting man in St. Louis. The 49-year-old German has lived a full and unbelievable life, which he detailed in his 2014 autobiography, The Unstoppable Keeper. Consider:

• The former goalie has played in all six FIFA confederations.
• While playing in New Zealand, he borrowed a penguin from a nearby colony and tried to keep it in his bathtub as a pet.
• He had to be revived on the pitch after a violent on-field collision in 2002.
• He spent months in a Singapore jail after being wrongfully accused of match fixing. (He was later cleared of the charges.)

Since August 2020, Pfannenstiel has been tasked with building CITY’s infrastructure from the bottom up. All the while, he’s maintained an active presence both in the community and on social media. But you probably want to know more about that penguin, huh? From Pfannenstiel's book:

A pet penguin. Why not? I couldn't stop thinking about it. At night I lay awake in bed, annoyed by the tick-tock of my alarm clock. I turned the TV on, but still couldn't get the penguin out of my head. I reached for a football magazine—and put it back down again. After an hour, I got up and did what I normally did when I had a mad idea: I put it into practice. Quietly I put on a black hoodie and black jeans and grabbed my rucksack and a pair of goalkeeper gloves before setting off in my car. It was raining when I parked near the beach where the penguin colony nested. I walked the last kilometre so as not to attract the attention of the keepers, who were on duty in a beach house. I pulled my hood down over my head and stood next to the fence, my shoes half-sinking in the boggy ground of the car park as I pulled on my goalkeeper gloves. I got going, my torch lighting up the way. I couldn't see any of the creatures, since they slept in holes in the ground. I reached blindly into one of the holes. It was empty. Another hole was empty too. In the third hole I felt something soft. I reached in, hauled the penguin out of its hole and put it inside my rucksack. It was barely moving, probably because of the huge shock. But then it started to respond to the situation and pecked at me with its beak. Fortunately I still had my gloves on, otherwise it might well have managed to escape. I ran back to the car, placed the rucksack with the penguin inside on the back seat, and drove off. It was a stupid idea and, in case anyone reading this is an animal rights activist, yes, it was a mistake.

9. Head coach Bradley Carnell has previous MLS head coaching experience...well, sort of. Although Carnell is taking his first official head coaching job with CITY, the 45-year-old South African did serve as the interim coach of the New York Red Bulls late in the 2020 season, guiding the team to the postseason. Across 14 games in the manager’s role, Carnell tallied six wins, three draws, and five losses. CITY wasn’t the only club intrigued by his coaching potential: There were rumors in late 2021—before he took the CITY job—that storied Premier League side Manchester United was interested in hiring Carnell as an assistant coach.

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10. Carolyn Kindle heads MLS’ first majority woman-owned club. Upon being welcomed into Major League Soccer in 2019, the club made history thanks to the leadership of Kindle, president of Enterprise Holdings Foundation and the granddaughter of Enterprise founder Jack C. Taylor. Kindle heads an ownership group that includes eight members of the Taylor family: Kindle, Andy Taylor, Jo Ann Taylor Kindle, Alison Kindle Hogan, Barbara Taylor, Christine Taylor, Kelly Taylor, and Patricia Taylor, as well as World Wide Technology CEO Jim Kavanaugh.

11. Bosnian defender Selmir Pidro was the first player to sign with the club. CITY’s acquisition of Pidro ensures that the 24-year-old will be the answer to a trivia question in St. Louis for generations to come. Pidro had been playing for FK Sarajevo in his native Bosnia, where he helped the club claim four trophies since his debut in 2018. He’s also a member of the Bosnian National Team and appeared in a friendly against the United States in December 2021. 

12. CITY plucked goalie Roman Bürki out of one of the best leagues in the world. After seven years with Borussia Dortmund, during which the Swiss keeper posted 83 clean sheets in 232 appearances, Bürki left Germany's prestigious Bundesliga to sign with St. Louis last March. Bürki is among the most noteworthy signings for CITY, which has made him the highest-paid keeper in the league with an annual guaranteed compensation of $1.63 million.

13. The team added some experienced MLS defenders during the offseason. CITY's roster contains an intriguing blend of international and domestic talent, including a few players who know Major League Soccer quite well. The club traded for center back Tim Parker of the New York Red Bulls on the night of the expansion draft, acquiring a veteran of more than 200 MLS games. Alongside Parker, right back Jake Nerwinski will also give CITY some experience on the back line. Nerwinski, most recently of the Vancouver Whitecaps, enters the 2023 season having played more than 140 MLS games in his career.

14. Rapper Mvstermind is in charge of the tunes. But he wants your help building the stadium’s playlist. Mvstermind and CITY are asking fans to nominate local artists worthy of the spotlight by filling out this form on the team website.

15. Restaurateur Gerard Craft will curate CITY's food program. St. Louis is a great food city, and the James Beard Award winning chef wants to make sure that food options at the new stadium are up to par with the region’s culinary reputation. With CITYPARK's full lineup of food offerings now revealed, it's clear that the Niche Food Group owner is thinking far beyond the standard hot dogs and nachos. “I reached out to ownership very early on when they were still trying to get the team going,” Craft told SLM. “I just said I have a huge interest in stadiums and how food works in stadiums and what's offered in stadiums, and I think it could be a lot more exciting.”

16. The St. Louligans are poised to be the club’s largest supporters group. You’re sure to see (and hear) them in CITYPARK’s general admission supporter section behind the north goal. The Louligans have been fixtures in the local soccer scene for more than a decade, cheering for former clubs such as AC St. Louis and Saint Louis FC. For the Louligans, gatherings are about more than simply rooting for the home team. Historically, the Louligans have made an effort to raise money for local charities through raffles, gear sales, keg cups, and donation jars. Since their formation in 2010, the Louligans say they’ve raised more than $250,000 in gifts for local causes. One of the Louligans’ organizers, Brad DeMunbrun, says joining the group is simple. “Essentially, if you want to be a Louligan, you’re a Louligan,” DeMunbrun says.

17. There are other CITY supporters groups for seemingly everyone. Among the growing number of clubs:

• Saint Louis CITY Punks: Fans of fast music and fantastic football, these locals are also major advocates for mental health and suicide prevention awareness. The group raises money for worthy causes around the region.
• No Nap City Ultras: This family-focused group strives to bring together ardent soccer fans who also happen to be parents of small children.
• STL Santos: A group of Spanish-speaking fans eager to cheer for the new team in town.
• The Thieves: This subset of the St. Louligans promotes inclusivity in the local soccer community and beyond, donating time and money toward causes that support marginalized communities in the region.
• St. Louligan Ladies: Another subset of the St. Louligans, this group works to unite women fans.
• Fleur de Noise: As their name implies, these fans will provide the heartbeat of the supporters section, complete with drumming and CITY-specific chants (see above).
• SLCP Riot Grrrls: A subset of the Saint Louis CITY Punks, this group digs soccer and champions feminism.

18. The club produces its own podcast, The CITY Voice, hosted by Peter Wood. Episodes, which run anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour, spotlight the behind-the-scenes efforts of CITY staffers. So far, guests have included Pfannenstiel, Mvstermind, and stadium groundskeeper Josh McPherson, among others.

19. There are also several independent podcasts available for streaming on services, such as Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Among these shows:

• Flyover Footy: A resource for hardcore soccer fans in the St. Louis region hosted by Matt Baker, Stuart Hultgren, Santiago Beltrán, and Phillip Grooms.
• This is Silly: Louligans Brad DeMunbrun, Mitch Morice, Matt Bird, and Sarah Robertson talk CITY soccer, as well as the sport’s past and future in region.
• City SC Report: Hosts Steve Rusnack and Joe Chambers break down the latest local and national soccer news, and interview guests.
• Show Up Make Noise: Members of the Louligans drum corps, including Zack Ziaja, Sam Wise, Austin Adams, and Rick Breyer, talk soccer and soccer culture in St. Louis.
• Soccer Capitol Podcast: During these hour long episodes, hosts Mike Turner, Shjon Campbell, Chris Zimmermann, and Mason Turner banter about the latest happenings with CITY, national soccer news, and more.
• Ball Watching: Hosts Jake Koenig and Justin Graham break down all of the CITY-related news on these bi-weekly episodes. 

20. The club hired the league’s first chief experience officer, Matt Sebek. The St. Louis native has a hand in everything from marketing and community outreach initiatives to merchandise sales and the implementation of new technology in the stadium. Sebek knows the city and the sport well—he attended Saint Louis University High School before playing men’s soccer at the University of Evansville.

21. John Hackworth, CITY's director of coaching, brings a wealth of experience to the front office—and the sideline. The 52-year-old has coached at seemingly every level of American soccer. He spent time at the amateur level, guiding the program at the University of South Florida. He won a title in the USL Championship while leading Louisville City FC in 2018. He was in charge of the United States U-17 national team for a spell, and also spent time as an assistant for the U.S. men's national team. With CITY, Hackworth will make sure that the team's philosophies are implemented consistently across all levels of the organization. In 2022, he led the CITY2 developmental squad on its run to the MLS Next Pro Cup.

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Read More: CITY hopes for competitive, compelling debut season in MLS

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22. Josh McPherson is director of stadium grounds. That means he’s responsible for ensuring that the Bermuda grass pitch looks pristine. He was previously director of sports fields at Mizzou. Although you won’t find him in a CITY uniform this season, a case could be made that McPherson is equally as responsible as any player for making soccer in St. Louis a beautiful game. Just as it is Roman Bürki’s job to stop shots, João Klauss’ task to score goals, and Eduard Löwen’s responsibility to drive play through the middle of the field, it is McPherson’s mission to prepare the canvas on which they will work.

23. The home jersey pays homage to St. Louis and the surrounding region. Start with the front of the shirt, the right side of which features a geometric pattern that serves as a nod to the steel plates on the Gateway Arch. On the bottom left, you'll find a tag featuring the flag of the City of St. Louis. Inside, the phrase "Our City, Our Home" is stitched along the neckline.

24. The road jersey also serves as a tribute to St. Louis symbols. Dubbed the “Spirit Kit,” the gray jersey borrows its color from the Arch, while the pinstripes represent the steel beams that shape the team’s stadium. There’s also a patch on the back of the neckline that’s shaped like the Gateway Arch’s keystone. On it, the words “CITY Founder” serve as an additional thank you to the fans who supported the push to bring Major League Soccer to the region years ago.

25. CITY's on-field wardrobe will continue to expand. In MLS, teams typically update uniforms every couple of years. For example, if a team gets a new home jersey one year, it will refresh its road jersey the next year. And so on. The current plan is for CITY to receive a new road uniform in 2024. The whole process will keep you—and your wallet—on your toes.

26. Purina is the club’s primary jersey sponsor. The St. Louis-based pet care company was announced as the team’s first founding partner and kit sponsor in early 2021. Under the direction of Nina Leigh Krueger, Purina is also a woman-led organization—just like CITY. Purina's branding is prominently featured on the team kits. BJC HealthCare, meanwhile, will have ad space on the right sleeve of CITY's jerseys, and on the front of the training and academy team jerseys. On the left sleeve is the MLS crest and Apple TV logo.

27. The jerseys can be purchased in one of four different styles. The authentic jersey ($159) is the same version of the uniform that players will wear on the field. There are also men's ($89) and women's ($89) replica jerseys, as well as a youth version ($69) made with kiddos in mind.

28. CITYPARK seats 22,500 fans. Yet it was designed in such a way that the seating capacity can expand to 25,000 in the future. Seating options range from general admission to suites to boxes directly next to the pitch to the Supporter Section, located behind the north goal, which promises to be the place where diehards congregate. Gates are located on all four sides of the stadium.

29. No matter where you sit, you’ll be within 120 feet of the pitch. The closest seats will be merely 15 feet from the touchline. Even the upper-level seats are close to the pitch, which sits 40 feet below street level. This should make for an intimate in-person viewing experience—and an intimidating atmosphere for Major League Soccer opponents. 

30. The canopy roof was designed to reflect light, protect fans from the elements, and hold sound. Not only will opponents feel like fans are right on top of them because of the close seating, but they’ll also get an earful from the CITY faithful as sound cascades from above. Even with the roof, the open-air stadium was built in such a way to allow plenty of air flow and natural light. Another cool fact about the roof? The color and paneling on the underside of the canopy pays homage to the Gateway Arch.

31. Before the match, both teams will line up in the VIP Pitch Club. Fans with access to this exclusive lounge located on field level will be able high-five and fist bump players before they make their way onto the field before the match. The VIP Pitch Club, which has a capacity of approximately 450 fans, is located in between the home and visiting dressing rooms.

32. It’s more than a soccer venue. Count on CITY to play 17 to 20 matches each year. In the coming years, plans call for the venue to also host concerts, high school and college sporting events, camps, wedding receptions, and more. The plazas in the corners of the stadium have also been designed for other events, like viewing parties. Whether you’re inside or outside the stadium, you’re guaranteed to get a great view of the pitch and the city’s skyline all at once.

33. A full-scale team store sits across the street from the stadium. Fans can visit CITY Pavilion to grab team-branded shirts, hats, scarves, and more. Ahead of the start of the season, the store is open from 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Monday–Friday, 11 a.m.–6 p.m. on Saturday, and 11 a.m.–5 p.m. on Sunday.

34. There will be pet-friendly areas and green space around the stadium. Lou Fusz Plaza is a 125,500-square-foot terrace on the east side of the stadium. It will feature 24,000 square feet of green space, 76 trees, and 1,000 linear feet of trail running along 20th Street. It has one permanent concession stand featuring items from Steve's Hot Dogs and Balkan Treat Box, power sources for food trucks, and space for more portable concession stands. Before matches, fans can expect to find live music, games, and merchandise sales, among other attractions.

35. An experiential art exhibit created by Damon Davis honors the Mill Creek Valley neighborhood that formerly occupied the stadium site. The permanent exhibit commemorates the historic Black neighborhood that was demolished in the 1950s in the name of “urban renewal.” Davis, a St. Louis native and nationally-acclaimed, post-disciplinary artist, designed the immersive exhibit to honor the 20,000 Black residents who were displaced when the neighborhood was razed. The stadium’s south side is landscaped to show the exact plotlines of the homes that once stood on the stadium site. You can learn more about the exhibit here.

36. The team's free app is a must-have download for any fan. The STL CITY SC app (from Google Play or the Apple Store) is already up and running. Not only does it offer news and updates, but it also functions as a shopping portal for all of your merchandise needs. 

37. The app also allows users to take augmented and virtual reality tours of the stadium. Thanks to the STL CITY SC app, you can look around CITYPARK from the comfort of your living room. You can even see how a miniature version of the stadium might look in your home—the augmented reality feature allows you to travel the concourse, step on the pitch, and take a sneak peek of what the area immediately outside the stadium will look like, too. 

38. The Pitch Athletic Club & Tavern is a new sports and soccer bar that opened in February. The 200-seat sports bar will be located at the northwest corner of Union Station at 20th Street near the stadium, and is expected to open in the days leading up to CITY's home opener. With such a sporty name, the restaurant hopes to attract soccer fans on match days and otherwise. The bar will offer outdoor seating and an array of food options, from products inspired by the famed Carnegie Deli in Manhattan, to St. Louis-themed foods like Dr. Pepper-braised pork steak. The Pitch plans to open early on weekends to attract local soccer fans. Read more about the bar here.

39. The ULTRA Club will be a happenin’ spot. Located at the south end of the field, the ULTRA Club will have 17 LED screens on the ceiling, live cooking demos and tasting options, a huge bar serving Anheuser-Busch products, and floor-to-ceiling windows with a view of the Arch.

40. The team is accommodating families. To help all parents, there are changing stations in men’s and women’s bathrooms, among other family-friendly features and activities. 

41. The concessions are localized, with an emphasis on a range of cuisines that go beyond the typical stadium fare. St. Louis staples like Balkan Treat Box, Steve's Hot Dogs, BEAST Craft BBQ, and Brasserie headline the offerings. All told, there will be 52 food and drink stations throughout the stadium, with enough options to satisfy any craving.

42. All of the available food was chosen with soccer fans in mind. “It’s food that can be made for the masses, that can be held as you walk around, [and] food that goes great with beer,” says Gerard Craft, the club's flavor officer. “Soccer is a unique way of serving people. It’s not like baseball where you have every single inning for people to sprint out to get a bite to eat. Soccer, we’re talking about pregame and halftime, and what are we talking about, 20,000 to 23,000 people all coming in twice through a game? There’s got to be a lot of thought.”

43. BEAST Craft BBQ will serve pork steak sandwiches. There aren't too many food items more St. Louis than the pork steak, and there aren't many chefs more versed in their preparation than BEAST's David Sandusky. At the stadium, Sandusky's pork steak sandwich will be smoked on hickory and blasted with a torch to caramelize the outside. “It’s the perfect mix of big and sloppy,” Sandusky says. “It’s a two-handed type of sandwich, but it’s not dripping in barbecue sauce, so it’s not difficult to eat. It’s big, but not too messy.”

44. The Tantuni Kebab from Balkan Treat Box will be in high demand. The popular Webster Groves eatery will be found on the east side of the main concourse, where there is sure to be lines full of hungry fans on match days. One of the must-try items at Balkan Treat Box will be the kebab, which features your choice of protein (beef, chicken, or a plant-based option), as well as tomato, sumac, onion, herbs, and lemon. “It makes you crave beer when you eat it," says chef-owner Loryn Nalic. "You can eat it with one hand, and hold a beer in the other.”

45. Yes, there will be hot dogs, too. Don't worry. If you're one of those fans who can't imagine attending a sporting event without munching on a dog, you can enjoy the best of both worlds. Steve's Hot Dogs will be selling the frank it bills as "the official St. Louis-style Hot Dog." It's an all-beef dog that is smoked and grilled, and topped with Provolone cheese, grilled onions, green peppers, smokey pepper mustard, banana peppers, and bacon.

46. Grab-and-go markets will allow fans to buy concessions without having to wait in line to pay. At several locations throughout the stadium, you'll be able to enjoy a frictionless dining experience. At these markets, you will enter through a subway-style turnstile, scan your credit card (or app), and take whichever hot food or cold beverage appeals to you. Once you have what you want, simply walk out. “There’s no line. There’s no point of sale,” says Matt Sebek, CITY's chief experience officer. “Through the use of cameras and sensors on the shelves, everything happens seamlessly. At a traditional concession stand, the average wait time is about six or seven minutes. We can get people in and out of here in 30 seconds.”

47. The team’s practice facility is called the Washington University Orthopedics High Performance Center, and it's located directly across Market Street. That makes CITY the only team in the league with its entire campus in one place, right in the heart of the city. It’s a rarity in American professional sports for a team to have its entire operations in one spot. Typically, practice facilities are separated from the game-day stadiums by some distance. Already, the franchise’s development in Downtown West is dramatically reshaping the way the area looks and feels. "It's unbelievable," says Lutz Pfannenstiel, CITY's sporting director. "Having a training center right across the street, in the city center, I don't know any club internationally who has that opportunity. It's completely unique." 

48. Inside, the facility was designed to promote interactions between CITY players and coaches, and prospects in the academy system. Not only does the building's second floor house offices for CITY's staffers, but coaches for the U17, U16, and U15 teams are also located in the same corridor. Players will also be able to mingle in the facility's many shared spaces. "We on purpose don't want to separate the age groups," Pfannenstiel says. "We all play the same kind of football—same philosophy, same style, same ideas—so it's good to have them all together."

49. CITY players will review game tape in a cinema-style film room. Just like in any other professional sport, breaking down film is a crucial part of the training process in soccer. But unlike some other teams, who might study tape in a classroom-style setup, CITY built a film room inside of its training facility that feels like a modest sized movie theater. "We built it like a cinema," Pfannenstiel says. "That's one of the ideas we took from an English club called Manchester City, which has exactly that same video room, as well. Before the game, we do the analyzing here and talk about our next opponent. After the game, we go into all the mistakes. During the week, we also do video with individual players. So a lot of time during the season is spent in this room."

50. There are offices for mental coaches, as well as for staffers who specialize in analytics. In building CITY from the ground up, Pfannenstiel has focused on implementing innovative and forward-thinking ideas. With that in mind, CITY has an office dedicated to analytics and sports science. Across the hall, players will have access to a team of mental coaches. "The psychological part of modern professional sports plays a massive role," Pfannenstiel says. "Fifty percent is the body. Fifty percent is the brain."

51. Players will have access to weight rooms, hydrotherapy areas, saunas, a cryotherapy chamber, and more on the ground floor. Everything about the design and layout of the building is intentional. Take, for example, the location of the medical training room, which is located just a few steps away from CITY's practice pitch. "That actually wins and loses you games," Pfannenstiel says. "It wins and loses you titles, and it actually has a big impact on the value of players. We need to have treatment directly after an injury happens. If [something] happens, the player literally walks through one of the doors and gets treated immediately."

52. CITY officials drew inspiration for the training facility from international clubs. Pfannenstiel, who is perhaps as well-traveled as any soccer executive on the planet (see above), pulled ideas for the building from clubs located all over the world. As CITY continues constructing its roster, having a state-of-the-art practice facility should also help with player recruitment. "It's a big advantage," Pfannenstiel says. "It's definitely an opportunity to say that you will train in a really special facility."

53. CITY is the 29th club in Major League Soccer. The MLS has been in major expansion mode since 2015, when there were just 20 teams. Now, the league has its sights set on 30 teams, with cities such as San Diego and Las Vegas among the markets that could be next to join. Though CITY was announced as the 28th team in 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the start of the franchise and Charlotte FC became the league’s 28th team this year.

54. The CITY ownership group is composed entirely of local investors. The families at the center of the ownership group—the Taylors and the Kavanaughs (World Wide Technology)—have deep roots in St. Louis business, philanthropy, and soccer.

55. Professional soccer has found a home in St. Louis before, both indoors and outdoors. Going back to the St. Louis Soccer League in 1907, there has almost always been professional soccer of some sort in the city. Many of the teams have been short-lived, however. There have been multiple incarnations of the St. Louis Steamers, who played in the Major Indoor Soccer League for nine seasons until 1988. Another version of the Steamers rebooted in the late 1990s, and spent a handful of seasons kicking around in the MISL and the World Indoor Soccer League until 2006. The St. Louis Ambush, which plays at Family Arena, has been a member of the Major Arena Soccer League since 2014—and a previous incarnation of the team captivated audiences at the St. Louis Arena in the early 1990s. In the outdoor scene, A.C. St. Louis had a short-lived run more than a decade ago on one of the lowest rungs of the American pro soccer ladder. Saint Louis FC, meanwhile, enjoyed six seasons in the USL Championship before folding during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

56. St. Louis has hosted several high-profile friendlies and international matches in the past decade—with more to come. Across the past decade, some of the best players in the world have come to St. Louis to get their kicks. In 2013, Chelsea and Manchester City played in front of a sold-out crowd at Busch Stadium. Real Madrid and Inter Milan faced off here that same year, and in 2016 AS Roma and Liverpool also came to town for an exhibition. The Bosnia and Herzegovina national team has also played multiple friendlies in town. The U.S. Women’s National Team has hosted multiple friendlies in St. Louis, both against New Zealand in 2015 and 2019. And in November 2015, the U.S. men’s national soccer team played here in the World Cup qualifiers for the 2018 FIBA World Cup. CITYPARK hosted its first international contest in November 2022 when Bayer 04 Leverkusen of Germany's Bundesliga faced off against CITY2. In April, the U.S. Women's National Team will return to St. Louis for a World Cup tune-up against Ireland.

57. Fans submitted more than 6,000 possible names before the club selected CITY SC. The name beat suggestions including Lazer Snakes, Kicky McKickertons Football Club, and St. Louis T-Ravs. Kindle said at the time that the word “city” was the most common theme among the thousands of proposed names that were submitted.

58. The club has four primary colors: "City Red", "River Blue", "Energy Yellow", "Arch Steel Gray" The colors are inspired by the St. Louis flag, which focus groups revealed was a major source of pride in the St. Louis region. The colors and crest were announced in August 2020. City Red and River Blue have taken center stage in the team’s branding, serving as the main colors on the team’s crest and inside CITYPARK.

59. The lines in CITY’s crest represent the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers. The franchise involved fans in the process of picking the colors and crest, hosting multiple fan engagement sessions. A group of more than 20 local designers helped create what eventually became the team logo.

60. The SC has a double meaning. It stands for both “Soccer Club” and “Soccer Capital,” a nod to the region’s claim to being one of the first places in the country to embrace the sport. The name also has significance because it serves as a way to help unite the region through soccer.

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