Full points in two attempts. That’s an accomplishment for any team right there in a league where consistency comes at a premium for most teams, and is an outright myth for others. But it’s a very long season, and St. Louis City SC can’t rest on its laurels. We’re just getting started, and the Portland Timbers have been watching us more closely than anyone heading into our March 11 clash. As we prepare for what will likely be our toughest tilt of our first six matches, let’s take a peek at what the past week brought us.
A Two-Week Appraisal
Shjon and I sat down midweek and charted out our key takeaways from Saturday’s 3-1 victory against Charlotte FC - a great scoreline with quite a few successes and a few lingering question marks. As we prepare to travel to one of the Meccas of MLS, these are all things of which we should pay attention.
Our Captain
“Fan favorite” is about to lose all meaning if this squad keeps it up. Goalkeeper and City captain Roman Burki opened up to the Post-Dispatch’s Benjamin Hochman this week about what was certainly a pivotal moment for everyone in the stadium, but was lost on the broadcast. Burki proved why he wears the armband as he put a petulant Copetti in his place, and rallied CITYPARK back to its feet when the team needed it the most.
Memory Lane
Dave Lange, St. Louis soccer author and historian, has evolved his passion into a simple but beautiful site recounting each day in St. Louis soccer history. The March 9 entry is especially staggering. Bookmark this one, folks. It’s just fun.
The Tifo Everyone’s Talking About
If you’re just learning soccer, you might be surprised to learn about a tifo - a staggeringly large banner or display meant to highlight some aspect of the home club that often only appears at one match before retirement. The most beautiful part of a tifo, in my opinion, is that the club has nothing to do with the tifo creation itself - it’s all a supporters’ effort. Please take a few minutes with the linked Twitter thread to appreciate what it took to assemble the beautiful tifo everyone in the soccer world is raving about.
Headed West
My man Shjon gets a double shout in this CITY Reads - his match preview as we prepare for Portland is a must-read for anyone planning on watching the game. The late kickoff is rough, but don’t let it be a deterrent. City is a must-watch team right now, and Portland are an experienced foe with a formidable venue. Ask me where I want City to be in three years, and I’d tell you I want a good chunk of our experience to be the Portland of the midwest.
Want to talk St. Louis City SC and all things soccer? Come find @StLFooty on Twitter!
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