St. Louis CITY SC: Expansion side beat Charlotte FC 3-1 in historic home opener

The noise was deafening and relentless from the moment of kickoff, and by the time St. Louis CITY SC had concluded their first-ever home game, it felt like the roof would come off CITYPARK Stadium. To say St. Louis CITY SC’s first-ever home game was a success would be an understatement. St. Louis played Charlotte FC off the park in their 3-1 win and also managed to create an unbelievable atmosphere. 

“Incredible,” St. Louis CITY SC head coach Bradley Carnell said after the game when he was asked about the noise made by St. Louligans. “Just think of the piercing sound. … I said to the players, and I said to the staff, this has been incredible. Big thank you to the fans. … So yeah, I think we have set the bar really high. There's not too many stadiums with this atmosphere; I can tell you that now.” 

Midfielder Eduard Löwen echoed the sentiment of his head coach. “It was incredible. As I said, the moment I stepped out, I had goosebumps. You could tell the whole city had been waiting for this moment so long. I had to keep myself a little bit down, you know, the day and the days before, try to not focus too much on the game because I know that the excitement is so big, and it was it was an incredible night. And I think it's not over with.”

Enzo Copetti briefly silences St. Louis CITY SC crowd

There was one brief moment when the noise stopped inside CITYPARK, and that was when Enzo Copetti scored against the run of play in the 25th minute. It was the first-ever competitive goal scored at CITYPARK, and Charlotte would also score the second, but this time, it was Bill Tuiloma converting on his own end. Then just before halftime, Löwen made it 2-1 from the spot, becoming the first CITY player to score at CITYPARK.

St. Louis CITY SC’s Jake Nerwinski would later point out the importance of the very quick equalizer, especially as the home team dominated the run of play. “I think our first 20 minutes, you started so strong, and we didn't get that goal,” Nerwinski said. “You know, I think in those situations when you don't get that goal, it becomes a little more difficult. The game kind of settles down a bit. You know, we gave up a goal and, you know, to come back and to go up to one and a half was massive for us because I think that we had the better of the play.”

In the second half CITY’s dominance was almost oppressive, and João Klauss would put the game away after a brutal giveaway by Charlotte’s defense in the 71st minute. It was the second game in a row that CITY benefited from a defensive lapse by the opponent. But CITY players and staff were quick to push back against the term gift, instead pointing out that the high-pressing system is designed to force opponents into crucial mistakes. 

St. Louis CITY SC vs Charlotte FC: There are still "moments to fix"

Indeed, the game was a blueprint for how CITY want to play this season. At times, the high press almost seemed chaotic, forcing brutal turnovers but also looked frantic from a St. Louis perspective. But those who have listened to sporting director Lutz Pfannenstiel in the last few months will quickly understand that it is all by design and that it is a system that will cause problems for most Major League Soccer teams. 

Perhaps the scary part is that Carnell was far from happy with his team’s performance. “I thought the game pressing wasn't very on today,” Carnell said. “I thought the pressing was good, but when we lost the ball, I thought our game press was not very competitive. Moments to fix there for sure. I would like a little bit more on the first turnover to be a little bit more aggressive against the ball.” 

What, then, can St. Louis improve as they head into matchday 3? “I would like us to, you know, can we be a little bit more clinical and a little bit more penetrating in the final third,” Carnell said. “There's a lot of things to look at.”

St. Louis CITY SC: Fans need to bottle the experience

That appears to be the mindset of the entire group. Although St. Louis CITY SC are now on an excellent path to prove the predictions of experts wrong that saw the expansion team finish last in the Western Conference, Carnell and Co. are very much aware that these were just the first steps in what will be a very long season. After all this is a squad assembled with the team first in mind. For example, there is not a single St. Louis CITY SC player among the top 20 most valuable MLS players and in terms of squad value, the expansion side is also still last (overview). 

Meanwhile, off the field, the season’s first game was a massive success. The St. Louligans put up a big prematch tifo, and the entire stadium bought in, creating noise levels comparable to European football temples. That noise, in fact, might be worth a few wins this season, especially when CITY press up high and have their opponent on the back foot. 

Altogether, you must state the first game of St. Louis CITY SC’s MLS existence was a massive success. The club needs to bottle the experience and make it a regular occurrence. If so, America’s original soccer city will finally put down its flag in US professional soccer.