MLS coming to St. Louis … for a day
Talks have been going back and forth for a long time, but it looks as if the Kansas City Wizards will be playing a Superliga game in St. Louis at Hermann Stadium on June 21 (which is Father’s Day). The Wizards can’t use their minor-league ballpark home on that day because of a conflict, so they’d have to play at a high school-type stadium over there or try moving it somewhere else. And it looks like they’re coming here, where they will likely draw a much better crowd than they would anywhere else, probably including Kansas City.
It’s not definite yet, though it could be by Thursday. The opponent would be a still-to-be determined Mexican first division team. Talks could also fall apart. Tickets would likely run from $20 to $30. Since MLS and the Mexican league are behind this, teams are more likely to use their first team players, rather than the reserves you see in Open Cup matches.
Superliga, for those who don’t pay close attention to these things, is a club competition played between MLS teams and Mexican teams. This will be the third edition. It used to be the four MLS teams with the best regular season record the previous season that got invited, but then with the growth of the CONCACAF Champions League, some teams had schedules that got just too crowded, so now it’s the four best teams that aren’t in the Champions League.
Bring on soccer in some form any form. Maybe this type of exebition game will lead to the MLS to get off their backsides and bring a team into the St. Louis area. Lets try to sell out the place.
What kind of conflict would an MLS team have at their home park?
The Wizards are sharing their stadium with a minor-league baseball team — I think it’s the same league the two St. Louis-area independent teams are in — and the baseball team is playing that day. The Wizards aren’t the primary tenant, so they’ve got to go somewhere else.
The Kansas City T-Bones play in the Northern League, a different league than River City and Gateway, who play in the Frontier League.
zzzzzzz
Great job BR on getting the game to play in St. Louis. It’s amazing how alot of MLS supporters won’t support it because it’s “not” a Cooper event!
After the way the MLS has jerked this city around in their attempts to get a team, they can stick this game in the back corner of their own goal. Forget them.
Michael - what will “get MLS (no the) off their backsides” is a legitimate ownership group. St. Louis does not have an ownership group that fits the bill, and until that type of support materializes, it’s ludicrous for you to expect a team.
As to the feasibility of putting this game in St. Louis? I think it’s asinine that the fans who have supported the Wizards through thick and thin are being denied the opportunity to watch their team in a meaningful match. I’m fine with the Wizards playing an out-of-season exhibition in St. Louis, but not a match in season.
What’s really lame is Jeff Cooper refuses to have anything to do with the game!!??!!And he claims to want to get in MLS. Makes you kinda of go “hmmmmmmm?” doesnt it? I fear Coop knows STL isn’t really a pro soccer city, we just like to say it is. This game should show everyone the truth.
John - what will give you the “opportunity to watch your team in a meaningful match” is a legitimate soccer-specific stadium. Kansas City does not have a soccer stadium that fits the bill, and until that type of facility materializes, it’s ludicrous for you to expect to host this game.