ST. LOUIS–The stunning 3-2 win Saturday at Austin in the inaugural MLS match for City SC likely boosted buzz and fan excitement ahead of the St. Louis home opener Saturday night against Charlotte at CityPark. One thing it had no impact on: ticket sales. But that’s only because those had already sold out in four minutes.
After a failed bid to land an expansion team in MLS and then a year’s delay due to the pandemic, soccer fans will get their first home match in MLS that counts in the standings.
While the product on the field has had several weeks of training and preseason games, the 22,500 capacity stadium has only hosted fans for a match once–November’s friendly against Bayer Leverkusen
“We're learning a lot every day. It's a new venue. It takes time to break in. We learned a lot at our friendly last November about where people come in, where they want to hang out, what types of food they want, who's using mobile order ahead, who's not,” Matt Sebek, the club’s Chief Experience Officer told Spectrum News recently. “There was a lot to learn but frankly the last three years we've done a lot of research, we've visited a lot of other stadiums, a lot of other entertainment venues and so really have taken a lot of those lessons learned and built it into our own recipe here.”
Here are five ways to help your fan experience ahead of the 7:30 p.m. match.
Know your parking options
“There are big lots around us, whether its Union Station, Wells Fargo, Schlafly…there are really good meeting places, Sebek said. “We also have a MetroLink stop in Union Station. We have a bike path that comes literally into our district so we think the options and the variety for transportation into our district is really immense, it’s just going to take some getting used to.”
Fans should also know that this Saturday, Enterprise Center will be hosting the Missouri Valley Conference men’s basketball tournament, with the second semifinal of the day tipping off around 5pm. Comedian Trevor Noah has a show at the Stifel Theatre at 7pm.
Download the team’s mobile app
CityPark is a cashless facility. You can buy your tickets through the app and order your food through it too, as well as using credit/debit at concessions.
“We've invested very deliberately in a lot of next-generation technology so whether its ordering food ahead of time via our mobile app, we have three frictionless markets that are...it's no other way to describe it than a magic experience. You walk in, grab what you want you walk out, there's no point of sale line and you can get in and out in 30 seconds,” Sebek said.
Know your security rules
There are metal detectors at each gate, and “cameras everywhere”, Sebek said. Be sure to check out the list of prohibited items which includes weapons of any kind, fireworks, illegal drugs, laser pointers,flag poles, and more.
"We are asking everyone to secure your vehicle and park smart this weekend. Make sure your vehicle is secured, lock all doors and activate your alarm or use an anti-theft device," St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department Capt. Christi Marks said. People should not bring firearms, she said.
There will be a police detail for the soccer opener, including off-duty officers and those working in secondary security roles.
Get there early
“Soccer is a visceral, tribal experience so definitely get here early, start to participate in the chants being led by our 3,000 seat supporter section. They'll be banging drums, the chanting is a full-stadium immersion,” Sebek said.
For the home opener, early means a day early.
The team is hosting a block party at CityPark’s Lou Fusz Plaza at 6pm Friday for 5,000 fans. Tickets are free and are available starting at 2pm Thursday through www.seatgeek.com or via the SeakGeek or STL CITY SC apps. Fans can expect music, food vendors, games and giveaways.
Saturday’s block party starts at 4pm and won’t require a ticket.
Gates to the stadium open at 6pm Saturday.
While roughly half of the players on the team were here for the friendly exhibition in November, those who weren’t are eagerly expecting Saturday night.
“We can feel that the city’s excited. I honestly can’t imagine the adrenaline that players will get when we walk out and see the stadium filled for the first time,” Winger Indiana Vassilev told Spectrum News last week.” I’m getting goosebumps already about it. It’s going to be surreal.”
Other viewing options
If you don’t have a ticket to the match, the team has partnered with nearly 30 bars and restaurants throughout the St. Louis region where fans can expect to find the action.