2023 was the inaugural season for St. Louis City in Major League Soccer. The season saw records challenged or surpassed, starting off with winning 5 straight games, surpassing the 2009 Seattle Sounders (3) for most wins to start a season by an expansion team. They also finished with the most wins by an expansion team (17) and are the only expansion team to finish in 1st place in their conference. Finishing with 56 points, they were 1 point shy of tying 2018’s LAFC team (57) for most points by an expansion team.
In total they finished 25 matches in 1st place in the Western Conference and 5 matches in 1st place in the overall Shield standings. They went the entire season never dropping below 3rd place in the Western Conference.
Season Summary
February/March (5-0-0)
St. Louis CITY SC kicked off their inaugural season on February 25, 2023, at Austin FC. Tim Parker made history as the first goal scorer in CITY’s history, netting a header off a corner kick in the 24th minute to secure a 1-0 lead for the team. Despite trailing 2-1 late in the second half, CITY rallied with goals by Jared Stroud (78’) and João Klauss (86’), propelling them to their first-ever win as a franchise. NOTABLES: 1st win; 1st road win; 1st come-from-behind win; 1st road goal. INJURIES: Indiana Vassilev, broken nose (17′).
On March 4th, CITY hosted Charlotte FC at CityPark for their inaugural home game. While the first goal in CityPark history went to Charlotte’s Enzo Copetti (25′), a Bill Tuiloma own goal (41′) and Eduard Löwen PK (45+5′) gave CITY a 2-1 lead at halftime. João Klauss (71′) finished the scoring for the game to give CITY a 3-1 victory over Charlotte. With the win, CITY became just the 4th expansion team to start their existence with 2 straight wins. Indiana Vassilev returned in the 73rd minute, wearing a mask for his broken nose. NOTABLES: 1st home win; 1st home goal; 1st PK goal.
CITY’s second away game of the season took place on March 11th against the Timbers in Portland. The Timbers took the lead early in the game, but CITY managed to tie it up in stoppage time with a Jared Stroud goal (45+1′). Kyle Hiebert then put CITY ahead in the 75th minute, scoring off an Eduard Löwen free kick. This win marked CITY’s third come-from-behind victory and tied them with the 2009 Seattle Sounders as the only expansion teams to start a season with three consecutive wins.
The San Jose Earthquakes visited CityPark on March 18th for the fourth game of the season. Niko Gioacchini scored in the 34th minute, followed by goals from Klauss (45+3′) and Tomáš Ostrák (68′) to secure a 3-0 CITY win. It marked the team’s fourth consecutive win to start the season, setting a new record for an expansion franchise. NOTABLES: 1st clean sheet.
On March 25th, CITY traveled to Real Salt Lake for the fifth game of the season. Despite a scoreless first half, Niko gave CITY the lead in the 47th minute. Klauss scored two quick goals (61′, 66′), and Rasmus Alm added a final goal in the 76th minute to secure a 4-0 CITY victory. This win extended the record streak to start a season by an expansion franchise to five games. NOTABLES: 2nd clean sheet.
April (2-3-1)
St. Louis CITY SC faced a challenging task on April Fools’ Day as they sought to break Minnesota United’s stubborn low block system. The game was deadlocked at 0–0, with the game inching closer to St. Louis City SC’s first draw of the season. However, a foul in the box by Kyle Hiebert in the 76th minute resulted in a penalty kick, which was converted to give Minnesota a 1–0 lead. Despite a valiant effort by CITY, including a flurry of attacks and a great chance on goal by Sam Adeniran, Minnesota held on to secure CITY’s first loss of the season. Njabulo Blom returned for the first time since the second game of the season against Charlotte FC, coming on as a substitute in the 60th minute. Blom had missed the previous three games due to COVID-19. NOTABLES: 1st loss; 1st home loss; 1st shutout against, 1st PK allowed.
The following week, CITY’s first true test of the season came at the Seattle Sounders on April 8. For the first half, St. Louis City SC performed well, taking a 0–0 game into the locker room. However, just after the hour mark, Josh Atencio scored a golazo to put the Sounders ahead 1–0. This marked a shift in momentum and strategy for St. Louis City SC. They were on the back foot and conceded a second goal in the 71st minute. With the game in their favor, Seattle capped off a 3–0 win with Jake Nerwinski’s own goal (89’). NOTABLES: 1st own goal. INJURIES: Njabulo Blom, groin (64′).
St. Louis City SC, having lost twice in a row, faced FC Cincinnati at CityPark on April 15. Both teams had led the Supporters Shield race at some point in the season. CITY had a 5–2–0 record, while Cincinnati was undefeated with a 5–0–2 record. Before the game, thunderstorms swept through the St. Louis area, causing tornado sirens to sound at CityPark. The game was delayed for hours, forcing fans to seek shelter in nearby bars and Union Station. By 10 pm local time, the storms passed, and the field was ready for play. Jared Stroud scored in the third minute of play, making it his third goal of the year. CITY added two more goals in the first half by Löwen (39′), and Hiebert (45+2′) to go into halftime leading 3–0. Niko (53′) scored a quick goal to start the second half, and Roman Celentano was given an own goal in the 57th minute after a Rasmus Alm shot pinballed off the post and Celentano’s back before going into the net. This gave the home team a 5–0 lead inside an hour. Cincinnati did respond with a goal in the 62nd minute by Sergio Santos, but that was the end of the scoring. With a 5–1 win, CITY moved back into first place in the Shield race.
A challenging game was ahead on April 22 in Colorado against the Rapids. Despite a quiet first half, the team found the lead thanks to a Rasmus Alm goal in the 57th minute. With 12 saves, Roman Bürki tried his best to get CITY out of Colorado with a win. But Michael Barrios, a late sub by Colorado, scored a stoppage time goal to end the game 1-1. NOTABLES: 1st tie. INJURIES: João Klauss, quad (61′).
CITY paused the MLS season on April 25 to play their first-ever US Open Cup game. A sold out crowd saw them beat Union Omaha 5-1 on the backs of Aziel Jackson (3′, 66′), Akil Watts (62′), Eduard Löwen (86′) and an Omaha own goal (48′). Sam Adeniran was loaned to USL team San Antonio FC before the game. NOTABLES: The crowd of 22,423 was the largest ever to see a US Open Cup Third Round game.
On April 26th, CITY announced the signing of Diego Gigliani as President and General Manager of the club. He came from City Football Group, the parent company of Manchester City FC.
The team returned to MLS action the following Saturday, April 29, at CityPark, where they welcomed the Portland Timbers. The game went to halftime tied 0-0, and both sides lacking energy. However, the weather turned foul and the soccer turned foul as well. Evander converted a penalty kick in the 63rd minute, giving Portland a 1-0 lead. Célio Pompeu would offer CITY fans a glimmer of hope, equalizing in the 81st minute. But, Portland swiftly responded in the 82nd, taking the lead once again and securing a 2–1 victory.
May (2-2-0)
CITY kicked off a busy May by visiting FC Dallas in Frisco, TX on May 6th. The first half ended at 0–0. But with bad weather looming, play was stopped five minutes into the second half and never resumed. The game was postponed until Wednesday, June 7.
Three days later, May 9th, CITY were in Chicago for a U.S. Open Cup Round of 32 matchup against the Chicago Fire. A goal at 3 minutes by Maren Haile-Selassie gave Chicago the early lead. From there, they dominated the game, with little fight from CITY. Fabian Herbers (75′) added another for Chicago making the score 2-0. A stoppage time goal by Miggy Perez (90+3 minutes) made the game seem much closer. With the loss, CITY were eliminated from the U.S. Open Cup.
The following Saturday, May 13th, CITY were back in Chicago once again, this time for the MLS regular season. A Rafael Czichos goal in the 40th minute was all Chicago would need to claim back-to-back victories over CITY. NOTABLES: 1st dismissal (John Nelson second yellow (70′)); Njabulo Blom was back from injury; Tim Parker did not play due to suspension via yellow card accumulation; Caden Glover made debut appearance at 16 years old (77′).
CITY returned home May 20th to welcome new rivals Sporting KC to CityPark. Goals from Löwen (19’), Indiana Vassilev (25’, 75’), and Niko (55’) pulled CITY out of their funk with a 4-0 victory. NOTABLES: 3rd clean sheet.
The Vancouver Whitecaps came into CityPark May 27th for the 13th MLS game of the season. Eduard Löwen put CITY ahead 1-0 in the 35th minute with a free kick goal. A Vancouver own goal by Tristan Blackmon (45′) and a Miggy Perez stoppage-time goal (90+4′) led CITY to a 3-1 win over Vancouver. NOTABLES: Löwen’s goal was voted Goal of the Matchday.
CITY were supposed to face off at LAFC midweek, May 31st, however the game was postponed to July 12 due to LAFC’s involvement in the CONCACAF Champions Cup title game.
June (2-3-1)
Houston Dynamo made their debut visit to CityPark on June 3rd. CITY got on the board in the 9th minute with a goal by Eduard Löwen. Second half goals by Ostrák (51’) and Niko (83’) resulted in a 3–0 victory. NOTABLES: 4th clean sheet.
St. Louis City SC returned to Dallas on June 7 for the resumption of the postponed game from May 6, with the score 0-0 and 40 minutes left to play. Furthermore, both teams had to feature the same lineups with the same players on the field as when play stopped. Goals by Jesus Ferreira and Marco Farfan were all Dallas needed for a 2-0 shutout.
Eager to turn the page, CITY welcomed LA Galaxy to CityPark on June 11th. The teams played to a 1-1 draw, with CITY getting on the board first in the 68th minute on a Niko Gioacchini goal. However, they were not able to finish the game and allowed the equalizer in the 85th.
Visiting Nashville SC on June 17th, CITY fell behind early on a Hany Mukhtar 11th minute goal. Niko leveled the score (41′) to send the teams into halftime tied 1-1. But Kyle Hiebert received a second yellow card in the 68th minute to put CITY down a man. From there Hany Mukhtar took over, scoring in the 70th and 75th minutes to give Nashville a 3-1 win. NOTABLES: 2nd dismissal (Hiebert (68′)). INJURIES: Löwen, quad, (training).
Back home the following week, CITY welcomed Real Salt Lake on June 21st. At that point, RSL had been the best away team in the league and would remain so. Diego Luna gave RSL the early lead in the 15th minute, but Niko Gioacchini equalized in the 21st. RSL scored quickly after halftime and added am insurance goal in the 66th to secure the 3-1 win.
CITY, playing their sixth game in just 21 days, traveled to San Jose on June 24 to face the Earthquakes in a rematch from earlier in the season. Sam Adeniran, who had been on loan in San Antonio, was recalled and started the game. With a brace by Adeniran (41′, 58′), CITY secured a 2-1 victory and took both games from San Jose on the season.
July (3-3-0)
Colorado kicked off CITY’s July schedule by coming to town July 1. CITY got on the board early with a Tim Parker goal in the 4th minute. Jared Stroud added another in the 11th and CITY would hold on for a 2-0 win and revenge for the late tie back in April at Colorado. NOTABLES: 5th clean sheet.
On July 8th, CITY visited Toronto looking for their third win in three games. Aziel Jackson (50′) provided the only goal of the game giving CITY a 1-0 win. NOTABLES: 6th clean sheet.
CITY then traveled to Los Angeles for a midweek matchup against LAFC July 12th. The game, which was rescheduled from May 31 went 70 minutes tied 0-0. But three goals by LAFC in the 72nd, 82nd and 90+2 gave them a comfortable 3-0 win, ending CITY’s winning streak. Eduard Löwen returned in the 69th minute from a quad injury suffered in training prior to the game in Nashville June 17th, missing 5 total games.
Prior to the All-Star/Leagues Cup break, Inter Miami visited St. Louis on July 15th in what would be their last game before Lionel Messi joined the team. Thanks to goals by Sam Adeniran (28′), Tim Parker (40′) and Eduard Löwen (80′), CITY won the game with ease. NOTABLES: 7th clean sheet.
MLS All-Star Game
The MLS All-Star Game was played July 19th at Audi Field in Washington D.C. against Arsenal of the English Premier League. CITY had two players named to the team, both selected for the first time: GK Roman Bürki and DF Tim Parker. Bürki started and played 34 minutes before being replaced by Tyler Miller. Parker came on at halftime for Walker Zimmerman and played 45 minutes.
In addition to his All-Star selection Bürki also participated in the All-Star Skills Challenge, where he served as the goalie in the Cross & Volley Challenge.
Leagues Cup
The 2023 iteration of Leagues Cup featured every team in MLS and LigaMX and seeded based on 2022 results. Since CITY did not field a team in 2022, they were seeded last among MLS teams. They were placed in a group with Columbus Crew and Club América, despite being 1st in the West and 3rd in the Shield race.
CITY’s first game of the Group stage was July 23rd at Columbus. Storms pushed the 7:30 start back four hours, but a Lucas Zelarayán free kick (11′) and Cucho Hernández PK (29′) gave Columbus control of the game early. Despite an own goal late in the game, they would hold on to beat CITY 2-1 and take the 3 points.
Next up, CITY played Club América at CityPark on July 27th, but were the away team due to Leagues Cup seeding rules. The 9pm start time also did nothing to cool things off as temps were around 100°F at kickoff. América scored early and often, controlling the game entirely. The 4-0 loss was one of CITY’s worst of the year and also eliminated them from Leagues Cup.
August (2-1-0)
CITY added two players during the summer transfer window:
- Nökkvi Thórisson, Beerschot VA (Belgium)
- Anthony Markanich, Colorado Rapids
MLS action resumed on August 20th as Austin FC visited St. Louis on a sweltering evening, with temperatures reaching nearly 100°F at kickoff. Tim Parker opened the scoring for CITY in the 22nd minute, followed by Niko’s brace spanning halftime—first at 45+2′, then at the 50-minute mark. Austin FC responded through Sebastián Driussi’s penalty conversion in the 61st minute, but St. Louis maintained control as both sides exchanged goals. Sam Adeniran struck twice (72′ and 90+5′) while Tomáš Ostrák added another in the 88th minute, securing a commanding 6-3 victory for the home side. NOTABLES: Joakim Nilsson made his long-awaited debut in the 87th minute.
Klauss made his highly anticipated return on August 26th as St. Louis City SC traveled to face Orlando City SC. After a 0-0 first half, Orlando struck early in the second to take a 1-0 lead. Rasmus Alm found the equalizer in the 79th minute, however, the celebration was short-lived as St. Louis conceded a costly handball in the penalty area just ten minutes later. Orlando converted the resulting spot kick in stoppage time to secure the victory and deny St. Louis City SC a valuable point on the road. NOTABLES: CITY’s goal marked the club’s 50th of the season becoming the fastest expansion team to reach that milestone (25 games); 1st straight red card (Jake Nerwinski) . INJURIES: Niko, shoulder (45′).
CITY hosted FC Dallas on August 30th for a midweek clash marking their third encounter of the season in only two games. The match took a decisive turn in the 12th minute when Dallas goalkeeper Maarten Paes received a red card, leaving St. Louis with a man advantage for the rest of the game. However, CITY struggled to capitalize until the final ten minutes. Anthony Markanich broke the deadlock with his first goal for CITY in the 82nd minute, followed just three minutes later by Nökkvi Thórisson (85′). Dallas managed a late consolation goal in stoppage time, but CITY held on for a 2-1 victory that evened the season series between the two sides.
September (2-1-3)
It took until Labor Day weekend, but CITY made their first-ever visit to Kansas on September 2nd. Sam Adeniran opened the scoring in the 22nd minute to give the visitors an early advantage, but Alan Pulido’s brace before halftime turned the tide, sending SKC into the break with a 2-1 lead. That scoreline would prove decisive, though not without controversy. Adeniran appeared to have leveled matters in the second half, only to see his effort ruled out for offside—a decision that went unreviewed by both VAR and the referee despite television replays suggesting he was in fact onside. The officiating woes continued when an apparent SKC handball in the penalty area was neither spotted nor reviewed, leaving CITY to rue missed opportunities and questionable calls in their first derby defeat at Children’s Mercy Park.
Following their defeat in Kansas, the team traveled west to face LA Galaxy on September 10th. CITY had one of their best first halfs of the entire season with Sam Adeniran(4′) and Klauss (28′) putting them up 2-0 going into halftime. The second half, as it was all season, was a different story. LA converted a PK after an Adeniran handball in the box. Ten minutes later, Adeniran was given a second yellow and dismissed. CITY tried to hold onto the lead, but playing a man down proved too much. LA tied it late and the game ended 2-2.
The road trip continued on to Houston, September 16th, with CITY’s first visit to play the Dynamo. Houston led 1-0 at halftime and looked set to hold on, but an 88th-minute equalizer by Klauss secured another 1-1 road draw for the visitors.
CITY returned home on September 20th for a crucial midweek encounter against LAFC. To secure a playoff berth, they needed an outright victory or a tie with help. Both teams played cautiously to a scoreless draw, but favorable outcomes elsewhere around the league officially clinched CITY’s appearance in the playoffs. NOTABLES: 8th clean sheet; 6th expansion team to make playoffs in their inaugural year.
A rain-soaked revenge game at Minnesota United, September 23rd, was up next. Minnesota took the lead early in the second half via penalty after Bürki was called for a foul in the box. Klauss leveled the game with a header in the 64th minute, six minutes after entering the match. Njabulo Blom then completed the comeback with a spectacular strike in the 73rd minute—his first goal of the season and eventual Goal of the Matchday winner—to give CITY a 2-1 lead secure all 3 points.
Capping off September, Kansas came back to town September 30th for the second meeting in St. Louis and third overall. The game remained tight until Sam Adeniran broke the deadlock in the 73rd minute, opening the floodgates for a dominant finish. Jared Stroud added a second goal (75′), followed by a Klauss brace (79′) and (85′). Kansas managed a consolation goal in stoppage time to make the final score 4-1. NOTABLES: 17th win of the season (an expansion team record); clinched #1 seed in Western Conference (first expansion team to do so).
October (0-3-0)
With two games to go, CITY traveled to face the Vancouver Whitecaps FC on October 4th. Riding a five-game unbeaten streak, they looked to make it six. However, with their historic achievements already secured, the team appeared to lose their edge and played defensively throughout the match. Despite Vancouver having two goals disallowed in a scoreless first half, the Whitecaps emerged in the second with renewed purpose. They dominated the half and cruised to a 3-0 victory. The ugly defeat marked a turning point for CITY, who never regained their earlier season form.
After a two and a half week break, the Seattle Sounders visited CityPark for Decision Day on October 21st, the final game of the regular season. The struggles that began in Vancouver continued to plague CITY as Seattle took control early through a 23rd-minute opener, then doubled their advantage via Tim Parker’s unfortunate own goal in the 38th minute. The Sounders held on for a 2-0 victory, denying CITY the opportunity to match or surpass LAFC’s inaugural season record of 57 points set in 2018.
MLS Cup
The 2023 MLS Cup introduced a new format featuring nine teams from each conference. The 8th and 9th seeds met in a play-in match, with the winner advancing to face the top seed in the First Round. This opening round featured a best-of-three series, with the higher seed hosting games one and three while the lower seed hosted game two. As the Western Conference’s top seed, St. Louis City drew Sporting Kansas as their First Round opponent.
CITY’s inaugural playoff appearance came on October 30th against Sporting Kansas on a cold, rainy night at CityPark—their fourth meeting in the rivalry’s brief history. The match initially appeared evenly contested when SKC took a 27th-minute lead, only for Tim Parker to equalize just one minute later with CITY’s first playoff goal, converting from a corner kick. However, the late-season struggles resurfaced as SKC seized control with two more first-half goals to take a commanding 3-1 lead into the break. The visitors added a fourth goal in the 61st minute to complete a dominant 4-1 victory in Game 1.
November (0-1-0)
For Game 2, CITY traveled west to Kansas, marking the fifth meeting between the rivals this season. The first half remained tightly contested, but appeared destined to go into halftime scoreless until SKC struck in stoppage time to take a 1-0 lead. A 73rd-minute goal doubled the hosts’ advantage, and despite Célio Pompeu’s late strike in the 86th minute and a frantic 12 minutes of stoppage time, CITY couldn’t find an equalizer. The 2-1 defeat marked their fourth consecutive loss and ended their historic inaugural season, with SKC advancing to the next round.