Sold-out audience, “incredible” atmosphere triggers St. Louis CITY SC at the home opener
ST. LOUIS – Bright lights, clear air and thousands of cheers marked a special occasion on Saturday evening: the first home game for St. Louis CITY SC.
CITYPARK won the hearts of many in its first taste of the MLS spotlight. And St. Louis CITY SC added the icing on the cake by beating Charlotte FC 3-1 in their first real home game to go 2-0 in their first chapter of franchise history.
The stadium experience was unforgettable for many players, coaches and even MLS commissioner Don Garber. A sell-out crowd of 22,423 fans got a chance to witness the story. Many key figures in CITY SC’s inaugural season were enthralled by the inaugural atmosphere.
Don Garber, MLS commissioner
“This is a community that has football at its heart and that doesn’t happen everywhere in MLS. One thing I said to the ownership group, we’ve built a fan base, a culture in many cities across this country that has been doing this to learn more about the game. In this city, we’ve delivered the next-gen game that showcases what MLS is and what it can be.”
Bradley Carnell, CITY SC coach
“Very proud of the boys and to be a part of the St. Louis celebrations… Last night the party started and the fans brought it today. That was incredible. There aren’t many stadiums with that kind of atmosphere.”
Roman Bürki, CITY SC Goalie (Captain)
“To win with the fans behind you is an incredible feeling. When I spoke to the team before the game, I said, ‘Suck it, take it as an encouragement.’ … It’s a fantastic stadium here. The atmosphere is fantastic. The whole stadium, not just part of the stadium. It was all electric.”
Eduard Löwen, CITY SC midfielder
“When I got out, I had goosebumps. You could tell that the whole city was waiting for this moment. … You could see after our win that everyone was so happy and had been waiting for this moment for so long. Not just St . Louis CITY the club, the whole city is really behind us and that makes it so special.”
Klauss, CITY SC forward
“It’s incredible. It’s very loud. I saw everyone throwing beers. … I want to be in a club where I can say, ‘This is my club, I’m home.’ Playing in front of these amazing fans today, lots of love from the outside.”
Niko Gioacchini, CITY SC striker
“It didn’t feel like 22,000, it felt like 50,000. I want to thank all of the supporters for coming and showing us their energy and love, something that is very important in this sport. It’s more than we expected.”
Jake Nerwinski, CITY SC defense
“It’s very special. This city has been waiting for a professional team for a long time. Everyone showed up for it, so it was great. It gave us that extra boost we needed and it was great that we got three points . It was so loud. I hope it stays that way.”
CITY SC start the inaugural season 2-0 as the fourth MLS franchise. CITY SC travels to Portland next weekend and then returns to CITYPARK on March 18th for their second home game against the San Jose Quakes.
https://fox2now.com/sports/stl-city-sc/sold-out-crowd-incredible-atmosphere-sparks-st-louis-city-sc-in-home-opener/ Sold-out audience, “incredible” atmosphere triggers St. Louis CITY SC at the home opener
