Last night (25 March), I came straight from work to Robert R. Hermann Stadium on the Saint Louis University campus. I was there to witness the opening regular season match for St. Louis CITY SC2, the reserve team of St. Louis CITY SC, which begins play in Major League Soccer (MLS) next year.
This night saw St. Louis CITY SC2 host Rochester New York FC in the inaugural MLS NEXT Pro match. A sellout crowd of just over 6000 were on hand. Fortunately, I had bought my ticket last month and it was on my phone when I came to the gate.
I arrived at the stadium about 10 minutes before kickoff, and soon headed to the supporter section where my fellow St. Louligans were there in force. They had a tailgate party at the parking garage earlier that night before marching into the stadium, but I was on my way from work in Ellisville when this occurred. I was still able to find a standing place among my fellow supporters.
The St. Louligans were in good form with our chanting and drumming. The crowd as a whole was in good spirits. Our efforts were rewarded in the 19th minute, when Wan Kuzain scored off a loose ball in front of the Rochester goal. CITY2 took this 1-0 lead into the halftime interval.
I stepped away from the grandstand late in the first half to get into a concession stand line for a light meal, but the line was much too long. Instead, I used my CITY app to get a badge on my profile there, signifying my attending my first match. I also chatted with another CITY fan for a bit before returning to the supporter section for the second half.
CITY2 dominated play throughout the match. A successful penalty kick by Vitor Dias in the 60th minute--after he was brought down by the Rochester goalkeeper in the penalty area--made it 2-0. Six minutes late, CITY2 was down a man after Ezra Armstrong got his second yellow card of the match. Rochester made an effort to get back into the match but could not score. CITY2 ran out 2-0 winners.
After the match, CITY2 players came towards the supporter section to acknowledge the St. Louligans and their efforts. We then walked back to the garage for a post-game party. I stayed around for a bit before going home. It was a long day for me.
It was a great night for St. Louis soccer. I am looking forward to more in the MLS NEXT pro season. After a couple of road matches, CITY2 hosts Tacoma on 10 April, also at Robert R. Hermann Stadium.
Later.
Websites of Entities Referenced in this Post:
Saint Louis University Athletics: Saint Louis University - Official Athletics Website (slubillikens.com)
St. Louis CITY SC 2: CITY 2 (stlcitysc.com)
MLS NEXT Pro: The Official Home of MLS NEXT Pro | MLSNEXTPro.com
St. Louligans: Saint Louligans – Supporting Soccer in the St. Louis Area – St. Louligans – Supporting St. Louis Soccer (stlouligans.com)
