STL CITY Academy Teams Are Back on the Road to Battle FC Cincinnati and Columbus Crew Academy Teams
St. Louis CITY SC Academy teams travel to Ohio to take on FC Cincinnati on Saturday, October 9 followed by Columbus Crew Academy on Sunday, October 10. The U16 team will kick off their MLS NEXT game at 1 p.m. EST at Mercy Health Training Center, followed by a U16 friendly game at 3 p.m. EST. The next day, the U17 team will continue their MLS NEXT season against Columbus Crew U17s at 10 a.m. EST at Columbus Crew Training Facility, with the U16s also kicking off their friendly game at 10 a.m. EST.
After winning in an exciting fashion last weekend against Austin FC, STL CITY’s U17 team will look to maintain their momentum against a hungry FC Cincinnati team, who are still looking for their first victory in MLS NEXT action. Similarly, Columbus Crew who are currently 2-3-1, will be eager to add a win to their record in their first home game this season.
“We are excited for this weekend, as we get to test ourselves against two well-organized teams,” explained Luis Swisher, St. Louis CITY Academy Assistant Coach. “It is important to build off last week’s performance and continue to play the way we want to. I think the boys are doing a great job in training and we’re starting to see the pieces come together.”
The U16 team continued their perfect record in all competitions, after routing Austin FC 5-2 in a friendly game this past weekend. Though they have not played in an official game since their victory against Indiana Fire Academy, they have continued to impress, netting seven goals in their last two friendly games.
“It’s exciting to see the players implementing our style of play on the pitch,” said David Critchley, St. Louis CITY Academy Assistant Coach. “I give them credit for buying into our soccer philosophy, and you can see that everyone is on the same page during games. While we are extremely happy with our results so far, we still have a lot to improve on and this weekend will give us another chance to do that.”
COACHES’ NOTES
Here’s what the St. Louis CITY SC Academy Coaches expect to see heading into this weekend’s matches:
- Find a good balance between our high press and middle block
- Be ruthless in front of goal
- Start the game focused, especially on the defensive end
To learn more about the academy, find player bios and rosters here. Stay up to date on all things St. Louis CITY SC by downloading the official team app and following the club on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
