ST. LOUIS – It’s a big week for professional soccer in St. Louis. Not only does St. Louis CITY SC kick off its second regular season, but they also open play in a big international tournament known as the CONCACAF Champions Cup.
CITY PARK will host two St. Louis CITY SC matches in a span of five days. That begins Tuesday with a CONCACAF first-round matchup, and after that comes the 2024 MLS regular season home opener.
Here’s what to know about each of the two matchups this week…
CONCACAF
Date: Tuesday, Feb. 20
Time: 7 p.m.
Opponent: Houston Dynamo
The CONCACAF Champions Cup is an annual competition consisting of soccer teams from North America, Central America and the Caribbean. St. Louis CITY SC is one of 27 teams playing in this year’s tournament. The ultimate winner will qualify for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.
St. Louis CITY SC is guaranteed at least two games through CONCACAF, which consists of two first-round matchups against MLS club Houston Dynamo. The second matchup is set for one week later, Feb. 27 in Houston.
In order to advance, St. Louis will need to win both games or split both games and have a tiebreaker scenarios work in their favor. In the case of a tiebreaker, St. Louis will need to score more head-to-head road goals than Houston. If those totals are the same, there will be a short amount of extra time issued, followed by a penalty-kick shootout, if necessary.
The two games will not have an impact on the 2024 MLS regular season standings.
CITY SC will also play the Dynamo in two regular season games later this year, a road match on May 4 and a home match on October 5. CITY went unbeaten against the Houston Dynamo last season.
CONCACAF stands for the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football. St. Louis is one of 10 MLS clubs in this year’s tournament.
Home Opener
Date: Saturday, Feb. 24
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Opponent: Real Salt Lake
St. Louis CITY SC has set the bar high for its second MLS season, coming off a season in which they broke an MLS record for most wins in an expansion team’s first season last year (17) and finished with the Western Conference regular season crown (56 points). The historic inaugural campaign started with five consecutive wins (also an MLS record), but ended rather abruptly with two first-round losses to Sporting Kansas City.
The home opener marks a fresh start for St. Louis CITY SC after unfinished business last season. It comes against a Real Salt Lake that St. Louis defeated to reach the season-opening five-game winning streak, but lost to at home later in the season.
Unlike CONCACAF, the match is the first that will count toward the 2024 MLS regular season standings.
CITY SC will play on several Saturdays, and occasionally on Wednesdays and Sundays during the regular season. For the full 2024 regular season schedule, click here.
Worth knowing for both…
TICKETS:
Tickets are still available for both games, starting at $35 for the CONCACAF match and $66 for the home opener before fees via SeatGeek, the team’s ticket partner.
PARKING:
Parking options closer to CITYPARK will be in high demand, and many of those spots will primarily be given to parking pass holders. Among options closest to CITYPARK are the Premium CITY Garage, located on Olive Street near 20th Street.
The Union Station parking lot is also a relatively quick walk to the stadium, but demand could be high there as well. Other nearby options are parking lots at 409 South 15th Street, 360 South 18th Street and 1211 Spruce Street.
Ballpark Village will offer shuttles to and from CITYPARK, though fees may apply in some cases. CITY SC outlines a few other parking spots that might require a bit of a walk.
OTHER OPTIONS TO GET TO CITYPARK:
For those who want to avoid parking hassles, you can take the Metro to the Union Station exit or arrange a rideshare for drop-off at Locust Street, between 20th and 21st streets.
ROSTER:
Many well-known players are back for this year, including co-captains Roman Bürki and Tim Parker, leading scorer Klauss and midfielder Eduard Löwen. That said, CITY SC lost a few notable names in Niko Gioacchini and Jared Stroud this offseason.
HOW TO WATCH/LISTEN:
Tuesday’s game will be available on FS2. Saturday’s game will be available on Apple TV+ through MLS Season Pass. If you’re in the St. Louis area, but don’t have access to Apple TV+ of FS2, you can listen to the broadcast for either match via radio on 98.1 FM.
WATCH PARTIES:
If you can’t attend CITYPARK’s two matches this weekend, you could take in the experience with a watch party. At least 18 bars are registered through St. Louis CITY SC’s watch party experience, tabbed as “CITY On Tap Presented By Michelob ULTRA.”
“CITY On Tap” bars are all registered with MLS Season Pass credentials and plan to carry broadcasts for all remaining matches this year. That includes many locations in the City of St. Louis and several suburbs in Missouri and Illinois.
To find a “CITY On Tap” location near you, click here.
