With history on its side and passion in its heart, St. Louis is taking its best shot at big league, big time professional soccer.  Long known as the “Soccer Capital of America,” St. Louis Soccer United, fueled by this region’s enthusiasm for the sport, is taking action and is driven to making the dream of a Major League Soccer team in greater St. Louis a reality.  This is the right place for a new Major League Soccer team and now is the right time to make it happen!

Early success of St. Louis amateurs paved the way for many St. Louis athletes onto the U.S. National Team, where St. Louis receives greater recognition than any other region of the country with a number of hometown players represented. Every World Cup roster since 1950 has had at least one St. Louis area player on it - a distinction only St. Louis holds. The following statement, taken from the American Soccer History Archives (an authoritative source on soccer research), precisely depicts the current St. Louis soccer climate in a historical context:

"When the North American Soccer League began play in 1967, the St. Louis Stars, a charter franchise, pioneered a development policy that emphasized recruitment and development of local American talent, bucking the league's trend towards employing aging international stars. More recently, St. Louis has been primarily known for its indoor soccer teams, and the city's importance in the national soccer scene has been muted as fans look for the possibility of a Major League Soccer team to bring the region back into prominence. But the city still enjoys a reputation as a key part in the development of U.S. soccer throughout the early years of the sport in the country . . . clearly; a region with so much soccer history should be represented at the highest level."

St. Louis Soccer Opportunity

The St. Louis metropolitan area has always been a region keenly interested in soccer with generations of fans playing the game.  In fact, the St. Louis metropolitan area ranks among the top major metropolitan areas in the United States with respect to soccer participation. Approximately 10.2 percent of St. Louis area residents participate in soccer, compared to a national average of approximately 7.1 percent. This participation rate places St. Louis as the fourth highest metropolitan area in terms of soccer participation and would rank as the highest participation rank among current MLS markets.

St. Louis’ passion for the sport is what has driven the city to be a pioneer in the game.  For example:

• The United States’ first World Cup victory in 1950 was led by a team where nearly half of the players were recruited from St. Louis.
• The first American professional soccer league, the North American Soccer League, was started by St. Louis native Bob Hermann.
• The single greatest honor given to the top male and female college soccer players each year is awarded by the Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis.
• Hollywood has even documented the depth of soccer success in St. Louis with the movie, “The Game of Their Lives.”

St. Louis is a thriving metropolitan area that is home to more than 2.7 million people extending into both Missouri and Illinois.  As the 18^th largest metropolitan area St. Louis is on the rise and making its mark, gaining national attention and recognition along the way.  The city was honored with the 2006 Entrepreneurial American Leadership Award by Partners for Livable Communities for its revitalization of downtown, and St. Louis was ranked as one of Forbes “200 Best Metropolitan Areas” in 2006.  In the last year the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today featured St. Louis focusing on its world-class center city revitalization, overall quality of life, critically acclaimed arts and entertainment, and its year round sports scene.  It’s a place of balance, a city of big opportunities and world-class assets nestled in the middle of a family-friendly, culturally diverse, intimate community.

Companies in this region find themselves in the midst of a vibrant business environment driven by a well-educated work force.  A number of Fortune 500 companies, call the St. Louis area home including Anheuser-Busch, Monsanto, Emerson Electric, Express Scripts, Ameren, Charter Communications, Peabody Energy, and Graybar Electric.  The current business climate has Greater St. Louis primed for continued growth and forging new frontiers.

In short, St. Louis is perfectly centered and remarkably connected.   It’s a region of soccer fans that is ready, willing and able to support a Major League Soccer franchise. 

			Proposed Stadium Development in Collinsville St. Louis MLS Players Rich History of Soccer in St. Louis