Having kicked off life as a fully fledged MLS outfit with a win in their opening game of the 2023 campaign, St Louis City SC entertained Charlotte FC this weekend for what was their first-ever home game at Citypark, and we just happened to be in the neighbourhood to make it the latest instalment in our Framed series.
For those unfamiliar, Framed offers up an alternative perspective on a game day, bringing you as close to the atmosphere and action as is possible from the comfort of your own chair, or wherever you happen to be while you’re perusing the photography. For the latest instalment we headed Stateside to catch St. Louis City’s home debut, as Major League Soccer’s newest franchise welcomed Charlotte FC, who themselves are only starting their second ever season. And the game and the atmosphere didn’t disappoint, with the 22,343 fans in attendance rewarded with a slice of history.
As a brand new club, St Louis are understandably looking to find their feet and their identity, but a victory against Austin in the opening game week of the 2023 campaign certainly will have helped galvanise the entire outfit. And so they came into their first-ever home game with the aim of keeping that momentum going. Flags were flying, flares were… flaring, and the stadium was at pretty much capacity. Seems Charlotte didn’t quite get the memo though, as they looked to spoil the party, opening the scoring half way through the first half through Enzo Copetti. However, two late strikes in the first half made coach Bradley Carnell’s halftime team talk that bit easier. The second half was won by a single strike from João Klauss, sealing the win.
In Carolyn Kindle, St Louis City SC boast the first female president and CEO of a Major League Soccer team, and the first in the league's history to have a majority female-ownership group. They’re doing things their way, and on this evidence that identity they’re looking to discover is all but there, ready to blossom and be embraced. Six points from two games, an entire stadium filled with people who stood and chanted and cheered for the full 90, and momentum well and truly on their side – not bad, St Louis, not bad.
Photography by SoccerBible.