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St. Louis City SC sporting director Lutz Pfannenstiel hugs midfielder Eduard L wen (10) after City SC defeated Charlotte FC at CITYPARK. Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

How St. Louis built a powerhouse and made history in its first MLS season

By Alyssa Clang | Last updated 10/10/23

St. Louis City SC never wanted to be just another Major League Soccer expansion franchise.

"We wanted to build something that fits in St. Louis," sporting director Lutz Pfannenstiel told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch before his team's inaugural 2023 season.

In the Midwest, a team with flash and pizzaz — like the ones in Miami and Los Angeles — wouldn't do. St. Louis wanted a team that would suit Midwestern sensibilities.

"What I learned, [St. Louis fans] like hardworking, they like people who are modest, who are like them, and I think this must be our approach," Pfannenstiel said. "I think we built a philosophy and DNA for the club which is very Midwestern."

Pfannenstiel's idea paid off quickly. The franchise recently made MLS history by becoming the first expansion team to win its conference in its debut season. St. Louis won the title with games to spare.

With LAFC’s Sunday loss, St. Louis City SC has clinched the top seed in the Western Conference for the MLS Playoffs. They also earned the right to participate in the CONCACAF Champions League! #mls #ALLforCITY pic.twitter.com/Odnwt46Mmh
— Under The Arch Sports (@_UTASports) October 2, 2023

St. Louis enters the MLS playoffs as a top seed and will qualify for the 2024 CONCACAF Champions League.

Much of St. Louis' success has come from its insistence on Midwestern principles: working hard, working together and valuing the contributions of everyone involved. The core of St. Louis' team was imported from Europe, with several players hailing from Germany's Bundesliga. Pfannenstiel's challenge was to find players who understood St. Louis' Midwestern spirit even if they hadn't yet experienced it firsthand.

"We're not always necessarily looking for the best player or the one who has the best stats," Pfannenstiel said. "We're looking for the player that is most similar to our style."

That philosophy led Pfannenstiel to Swiss goalkeeper Roman Bürki, Swedish defender Joakim Nilsson, German midfielder Eduard Löwen and Brazilian forward Joäo Klauss. They formed the core of St. Louis's inaugural team, with local players Caden Glover and Miguel Perez adding hometown flair.

St. Louis won its first five games, shocking many, and skyrocketed to the top of the Western Conference. The club became renowned for its relentless attacks and scoring goals in bunches. While its form dipped slightly in the middle of the season, it never really looked out of place in the league.

St. Louis also benefitted from its home in the West; the arrival of Lionel Messi at Inter Miami drew focus to the Eastern Conference in the summer and allowed St. Louis to operate without the harsh spotlight most debut franchises receive. It pulled its form together and cruised to the end of the season in first.

Staying humble, chasing more glory.
#AllForCITY pic.twitter.com/cEzobTvdGE
— y - St Louis CITY SC (@stlCITYsc) October 4, 2023

With the playoffs set to begin Oct. 25, St. Louis is in pole position to make a deep run. It will have a home-field advantage against its initial opponents, and by resting star players in the run-up to the postseason, St. Louis should be in prime position to do big things.

"Incredibly proud of these guys," head coach Bradley Carnell said of his team. "And I don't think we want to stop anytime soon."

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