U16s Welcome Michigan Jaguars, U17s Face Cross-state Rivals Sporting Kansas City
After securing comfortable wins last weekend, St. Louis CITY SC academy teams will close out their home stand this Saturday, October 30, with the U16 team playing against Michigan Jaguars and the U17s competing against Sporting Kansas City. Both games will be played at Creve Coeur Park Soccer Complex Field #1, with the U16 game starting at 10 a.m. CST, and the U17 team kicking off at 12 p.m. CST.
STL CITY’s U17 team will be seeking revenge against a strong Sporting KC side – who ran away with a 5-1 victory when the two teams met earlier in the season. Though the score line suggested otherwise, the boys created the better chances in the game and were unlucky not to register another goal after opening the scoring in the second minute. Since then, STL CITY has won three of their last four home games, most recently in a shutout victory against Vardar.
“I thought we had a complete game last weekend against Vardar,” explained Luis Swisher, St. Louis CITY Academy Assistant Coach. “From the first whistle, we came out with intensity on both the defensive and offensive end, so now we just need to carry over the same principles in our game this weekend. We know Sporting KC is a strong team, but we are approaching this match with confidence as we look to extend our unbeaten run at home.”
STL CITY’s U16s have been on fire in MLS NEXT this season, scoring 21 goals while only conceding once. The team’s strong defensive performances have been the catalyst to their stellar offensive play, with their attacking intensity proving to be a major challenge for their opponents. The boys will be looking to make it six wins in six games when they face a Michigan Jaguars team who are still searching for their first victory this season.
“We have another opportunity to get better this weekend,” said David Critchley, St. Louis CITY Academy Assistant Coach. “The team has done a great job of applying our philosophy on the field and it has been reflected in our results. Like we’ve said since day one, our main focus is on player development so we will continue to work on developing our playing style.”
COACHES’ NOTES
Here’s what the St. Louis CITY SC Academy Coaches expect to see heading into this week’s matches:
- Identify key moments to attack the opponents
- Control the tempo of the game on both sides of the ball
- Maintain a relentless mentality for the entire 90 minutes
To learn more about the academy, find player bios and rosters here.
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