Saint Louis FC
Full name | Saint Louis Football Club | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Founded | 2014 | |||
Stadium |
World Wide Technology Soccer Park Fenton, Missouri | |||
Stadium capacity | 5,500[1] | |||
Owner | SLSG Pro LLC | |||
CEO | Jim Kavanaugh | |||
Head coach | Preki | |||
League | USL | |||
2016 |
14th, Eastern Conference Playoffs: DNQ | |||
Website | Club home page | |||
| ||||
Saint Louis FC is an American professional soccer team based in St. Louis, Missouri. The team was founded in May, 2014, and competes in the United Soccer League. The team is the Major League Soccer affiliate of the Chicago Fire and plays at World Wide Technology Soccer Park.
History
SLSG Pro LLC (affiliated with St. Louis area youth club St. Louis Scott Gallagher) was awarded the USL Pro franchise on May 1, 2014.[2] That same day, the club announced that they would play their home games at the 5,500 seat World Wide Technology Soccer Park in Fenton, Missouri. Dale Schilly, the youth club director of SLSG, was named head coach.[3]
On June 2, 2014, it was announced that the team's name was Saint Louis Football Club.[4]
Former AC St. Louis player Mike Ambersley was the first player signed to the team on January 13, 2015.[5]
On January 16, 2015, the team announced their affiliation with the Chicago Fire of Major League Soccer.[6]
Saint Louis FC played their inaugural game on March 28, 2015, losing to Louisville City 2–0.[7] Their first victory was against the Tulsa Roughnecks on April 2, 2015, winning 2–0. Jeremie Lynch scored the team's first ever goal in the 42nd minute.[8] Their home debut was a 1–1 draw against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds on April 11, 2015, before of a sellout crowd of 5,280.[9] The team's first home win came against the Wilmington Hammerheads on May 9, 2015, with the winning goal by Sam Fink.[10]
On May 16, 2016, Saint Louis FC announced that they had acquired the PDL team Springfield Synergy FC and renamed the team as Saint Louis FC U-23.[11]
On August 15, 2016 Saint Louis FC announced that Dale Shilly has been relieved from his coaching duties. Tim Leonard has been named as interim Head Coach. [12]
On October 12, 2016 Saint Louis FC introduced Preki as the new head coach.[13]
Supporters
The official supporters group of Saint Louis FC is the St. Louligans. The St. Louligans were founded in 2010 when several local soccer fan groups joined forces at AC St. Louis home games. These small groups eventually decided to create a new group to unite them all, and the St. Louligans were born. They have provided strong support for a number of Saint Louis area soccer teams, including: AC St. Louis, Saint Louis Athletica, St. Louis Lions, and Illinois Piasa [14]
Saint Louis FC is working very closely with the St. Louligans to encourage their support, and on July 9, 2014, the club awarded the Louligans with the first Saint Louis FC season ticket. The group has promised that for each home game, they will give a new fan the ticket as a way to encourage new fans to join the St. Louligans and support Saint Louis FC.[15]
The St. Louligans also have a smaller subgroup, the Louligan Ladies, who were founded in 2014 as a way to encourage more women to support soccer and join the St. Louligans.
Colors and logo
The club conducted a fan vote to decide the team's crest.[4] The logo chosen includes a fleur-de-lis, which acts as the focal point of the logo and pays tribute to Saint Louis' French heritage. Also included in the logo is a reference to the year the city was founded, 1764, and 5 lines to represent the club's 5 core values: Unity, Humility, Passion, Respect, and Tradition.[16]
Year-by-year
- As of September 25, 2016
Season | United Soccer League | Play-offs | US Open Cup | Top Scorer | |||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Pos | Player | Goals | |||||
2015 | 28 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 30 | 40 | -10 | 33 | 9th | Did not qualify | 4R | Bryan Gaul | 6 | ||
2016 | 30 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 42 | 44 | -2 | 34 | 14th | Did not qualify | 3R | Irvin Herrera | 14 |
Team roster
Where a player has not declared an international allegiance, nation is determined by place of birth.
- As of May 2, 2016 [17]
Staff
Source: [18]
Coaches
- Preki – head coach
- Matt Caution – assistant coach
- Brian Jones – goalkeeping coach
- Nick Caruso – strength and conditioning coach
- Brian Bounds – athletic trainer
Front office
- Jim Kavanaugh – chief executive officer
- Tom Strunk – chief financial officer
- Rob Ebert – general counsel
- Patrick Barry – executive director
- Jeremy Alumbaugh – general manager
- Jon Beilstein – director of sales and business development
- Kevin Wygant – director of corporate partnerships
- Andy Krus – director of finance
- Grant Finley – communications and game operations manager
- Nick Dawes – marketing manager
See also
References
- ↑ "Marshall Wireless Stadium". Saint Louis FC. April 19, 2015. Retrieved April 19, 2015.
- ↑ "USL PRO Announces St. Louis Expansion". United Soccer Leagues (USL). May 1, 2014. Retrieved February 1, 2014.
- ↑ "Pro Soccer Returning to St. Louis in 2015". Riverfront Times. May 2, 2014. Retrieved October 6, 2014.
- 1 2 "Saint Louis FC to Join USL Pro Next Season". Saint Louis CBS Local. June 4, 2014. Retrieved October 29, 2014.
- ↑ "Saint Louis FC Announces Mike Ambersley as First Signing". Jason McAdams. Reckless Challange. January 13, 2015. Retrieved January 13, 2015.
- ↑ "Saint Louis FC Announces Fire as MLS Affiliate". January 16, 2015. Retrieved January 16, 2015.
- ↑ "STLFC loses inaugural game 2–0". Tom Timmermann. St. Louis Post-Dispatch. March 28, 2015. Retrieved April 13, 2015.
- ↑ "Saint Louis FC Earns Historic First Win On Road". United Soccer League (USL). April 2, 2015. Retrieved April 13, 2015.
- ↑ "St. Louis FC plays to draw in home debut". Joe Lyons. St. Louis Post-Dispatch. April 11, 2015. Retrieved April 13, 2015.
- ↑ "Fink's Late Goal Leads STL FC to Home Victory". Saint Louis FC. May 9, 2015. Retrieved February 2, 2016.
- ↑ "Saint Louis FC acquires PDL side Springfield Synergy FC". Saint Louis FC. May 16, 2016. Retrieved May 18, 2016.
- ↑ "2016 Coaching Change". Saint Loius FC. August 15, 2016. Retrieved August 16, 2016.
- ↑ "Saint Loius FC Names Preki As Head Coach". Saint Louis FC. October 12, 2016. Retrieved October 17, 2016.
- ↑ "St. Louligans". Saint Louis FC. Retrieved October 29, 2014.
- ↑ "Saint Louis FC Awards First Season Ticket". Our Sports Central. July 10, 2014. Retrieved October 29, 2014.
- ↑ "Pro Soccer in St. Louis". Saint Louis FC. Retrieved October 29, 2014.
- ↑ "Saint Louis FC". Saint Louis FC. Retrieved May 2, 2016.
- ↑ "Saint Louis FC". Saint Louis FC. Retrieved March 26, 2016.