St Louis City: Major League Soccer newcomers eye history in play-offs

Head coach Bradley Carnell and sporting director Lutz Pfannenstiel have overseen a remarkable MLS debut season for St Louis City

It is a long hop from Ipswich to St Louis, but perhaps just a small leap in terms of footballing feats.

A pre-knighthood, pre-World Cup Alf Ramsey famously led Ipswich Town to the old First Division title in 1962, in what was their debut season in the English top flight.

Winning an elite-tier title in a team's rookie professional campaign might be the only way to top that achievement.

So step forward St Louis City SC, newcomers to Major League Soccer.

The expansion team have confounded the experts to finish top of the Western Conference after the regular season.

And they now stand potentially five games away from lifting the MLS Cup and completing one of modern football's fairytale achievements.

So how have St Louis got here?

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Sporting director Lutz Pfannenstiel was one of the first employees taken on after the club's foundation in 2019.

He says it is not just the element of surprise that has seen St Louis win 17 of 34 regular-season games in their debut year in the Western Conference - a record number of victories for an expansion team.

"We wanted teams to hate playing us," says the German former goalkeeper, who moved to Missouri from Fortuna Dusseldorf.

"Usually, expansion teams get slapped around, but our players bought into the high-pressing style from the start.

"We drew 2-2 in a pre-season match against last year's MLS Cup runners-up Philadelphia Union, and we saw there was something special in the group."

St Louis went on to win their first five games, a record achievement for a newly formed MLS club.

Eduard Lowen is one of three German players in the St Louis City squad

Head coach Bradley Carnell, who Pfannenstiel has known for many years, won 42 caps for South Africa and played for a decade in the Bundesliga. He knew exactly what type of player would flourish in the new set-up.

"Bradley exemplifies the qualities of our team", says Pfannenstiel. "He came from a high-pressing background and put it into practice at New York Red Bulls as assistant coach. The way he has implemented our style and principles has been outstanding."

When pressed about whether Carnell's exploits in St Louis might spark an approach from other clubs, in the MLS or further afield, the sporting director plays a straight bat.

"It's normal for a successful head coach to be sought out by other clubs," Pfannenstiel says. "That shows other teams want to achieve what we currently have.

"St Louis City wants to improve step by step, and working sustainably in the coaching department plays a massive role."

Carnell backs up that assessment. "In a season that many people doubted us to succeed, we were able to prove them wrong with a strong foundation that was made up of a high-pressing style of play, a well-balanced roster and a buy-in from all the players," he says.

On the pitch, St Louis have assembled a cosmopolitan team, many of the players having been known to Pfannenstiel from his scouting networks around the world.

He came into coaching and then to executive positions having been the only player recognised for playing professionally in all six Fifa confederation regions, having had a remarkable career on the pitch.

On Boxing Day in 2002, Pfannenstiel's life was saved by a physio after his heart stopped while playing for Bradford Park Avenue against Harrogate Town.

St Louis may well not have been the same force without him.

Joao Klauss, a 26-year-old Brazilian, and Nicholas Gioacchini, a US international who played for Caen and Montpellier in France, lead the scoring charts with 10 goals each. But scoring has been a real team effort - St Louis are the third-highest scorers in MLS this season, behind Columbus and Atlanta.

Pfannenstiel now knows the challenge of the play-offs awaits.

League form could be swept aside in the knockout stages, although the first round is played in a best-of-three format.

Having the best record in the Western Conference means home advantage against either Sporting Kansas City or San Jose Earthquakes, the wildcard teams who will play a one-off match on Wednesday.

"I wouldn't say the pressure is on us at all," Pfannenstiel says. "Our team was predicted to finish last in the conference, and we have already surpassed expectations.

"We will continue to fight every inch in this knockout tournament. The consistency we have shown in the 34 games of the regular season is the biggest takeaway for us."

CityPark in St Louis opened in November 2022 and has a capacity of 22,423

From helping to build the CityPark stadium, to fine-tuning the first team squad, Pfannenstiel has given his all to the club in the past four years.

"I was convinced that this was the most exciting project in world football. Thanks to the owners, I got the chance to build a club from scratch," he said.

"From the academy, to the stadium, engaging with the community, all the way to signing the players for the first team, it's the ultimate job for a football professional".

MLS has been boosted this season by the appearance of Lionel Messi at Inter Miami.

The Argentina legend signed on 15 July, too late to make a major impact in the league for a team who finished third from bottom in the overall standings. But what about next year?

"As arguably the best player of all time, his stature brings national and international attention to MLS," says Pfannenstiel.

"Miami is building a balanced group of players to help them compete at a high level. Whether they are competitive for an entire season will be an interesting topic for 2024."

By then, St Louis may be the MLS champions. Completing their journey from a construction site to the championship trophy in just four years.

Not even Sir Alf, the man who went on to lead England to the 1966 World Cup, achieved that level of success so quickly.

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