What to know about St. Louis CITY SC’s season opener and how to watch

ST. LOUIS – We’re just hours away from the start of St. Louis CITY SC’s second MLS regular season.

St. Louis CITY SC will open its 2024 MLS season against Real Salt Lake. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. Saturday at CITYPARK.

The phrase “opener” is a bit of a loose term considering that CITY played a meaningful game just four nights ago. St. Louis defeated the Houston Dynamo, 2-1, in a CONCACAF Champions Cup first round matchup. The ultimate winner of CONCACAF will qualify for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, though wins and losses in this tournament do not affect regular season standings.

After Tuesday’s 2-1 victory, coming off a historic inaugural year with 17 regular season wins, CITY has set the bar high. Saturday’s matchup is the first of 34 regular season matches scheduled through mid-October and the first that counts in terms of points.

How To Watch

If you’d like to see Saturday’s game in-person, some tickets are still available. Tickets start at $60 before fees via SeatGeek, the team’s ticket partner.

If you’d rather watch at home, Saturday’s game will be available on Apple TV+ through MLS Season Pass. To create or log into an account, or check your eligibility for MLS Season Pass, click here.

If you’re in the St. Louis area, but don’t have access to Apple TV+, you can listen to the broadcast for Saturday’s match via radio on 98.1 FM.

If you’re going to the game

WEATHER:

After a stretch of somewhat unseasonably warm winter nights, the temperature dips a bit Saturday. The temperature around gametime should be in the low 40s. Make sure to bring enough layers to stay warm. Fortunately, there aren’t any storms in Saturday’s forecast.

BLOCK PARTY:

The first free CITY Block Party of the 2024 season is scheduled from 4-6 p.m. Saturday at CITYPARK’s Lou Fusz Plaza. Local musicians Bo Dean, DJ Sol and Smino will perform. There will also be various games, activities and opportunities to enjoy food and drinks.

PARKING:

Parking options closer to CITYPARK will be in high demand, and many of those spots will primarily be given to parking pass holders. Among options closest to CITYPARK are the Premium CITY Garage, located on Olive Street near 20th Street.

The Union Station parking lot is also a relatively quick walk to the stadium, but demand could be high there as well. Other nearby options are parking lots at 409 South 15th Street, 360 South 18th Street and 1211 Spruce Street.

Ballpark Village will offer shuttles to and from CITYPARK, though fees may apply in some cases. CITY SC outlines a few other parking spots that might require a bit of a walk.

OTHER OPTIONS TO GET TO CITYPARK:

For those who want to avoid parking hassles, you can take the Metro to the Union Station exit or arrange a rideshare for drop-off at Locust Street, between 20th and 21st streets.

OTHER GAMEDAY CONSIDERATIONS:

If you have a ticket, make sure its recognized on the St. Louis CITY SC app for the best experience. The app works in tandem with SeatGeek for ticket information. Per CITY SC instructions, follow these steps to redeem your ticket.

• In the CITY SC app, tap GO and then ACCESS TICKETS.

• Log into your SeatGeek Account. Or, you can create a new one during this step.

• Tap AUTHORIZE to grant access and link your accounts.

Starting at 6 p.m. Saturday, an hour and a half before the match, fans can enter from all four sides of CITYPARK. The south and east sides will be closest to the block party. Fans can only pay for goods and services at CITYPARK using a credit or debit card.

CITYPARK operates under a clear-bag policy, meaning fans are only allowed to enter with clear bags smaller than 14 inches by 14 inches by 6 inches. Some wallets or clutches might be subject to inspection. Guests with medical conditions and diaper bags will be granted a bag exemption on a case-by-case basis. CITY SC also notes many items that guests are prohibited from bringing into the stadium.

If you’re tuning in from elsewhere

Your options for following the game are through MLS Season Pass on Apple TV+ or 98.1 FM.

WATCH PARTIES:

If you can’t attend Saturday’s game, you could take in the experience with a watch party. At least 18 bars are registered through St. Louis CITY SC’s watch party experience, tabbed as “CITY On Tap Presented By Michelob ULTRA.”

“CITY On Tap” bars are all registered with MLS Season Pass credentials and plan to carry broadcasts for all remaining matches this year. That includes many locations in the City of St. Louis and several suburbs in Missouri and Illinois.

To find a “CITY On Tap” location near you, click here.

This season’s squad

Many well-known players are back for this year, including co-captains Roman Bürki and Tim Parker, leading scorer Klauss and midfielder Eduard Löwen. Head coach Bradley Carnell is back for his second season.

CITY lost a few notable names in Niko Gioacchini and Jared Stroud this offseason. One of their new additions make a huge impact in Tuesday’s CONCACAF match. Husei Kijima, a 2024 SuperDraft pick, played only four minutes but scored the game-winning goal in the 90th minute. Homegrown product Caden Glover could be ready to embrace a large role on this year’s offense as well.

In 2023, St. Louis had the third-best goal differential in the league at +17. The defense helped them to a Top 5 team save percentage (73.8%) and the most clearances (676) in the regular season. Their passing metrics ranked toward the bottom, though the team proved rather efficient in scoring opportunities. How this all culminates for the 2024 squad remains to be determined.

For the full 2024 St. Louis CITY SC schedule, click here.

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