Saint Louis FC Will Try For Another Three Points This Sunday At Soccer Park In St. Louis

After taking on Toronto FC II in a rare Friday night match last time out, Saint Louis FC is again in action at Toyota Stadium this weekend. This time, the local United Soccer League squad will face Bethlehem Steel FC in their first home Sunday match.

Parking lots will open at 1 pm on Sunday ahead of the 4 pm kickoff. Tickets are available in advance by calling 636-680-0997 or going to SaintLouisFC.com. Be sure to ask about the 1764 ticket offer. Tickets can also be purchased at the Marco Box Office at World Wide Technology Soccer Park.

Bethlehem Steel FC is affiliated with the Philadelphia Union of Major League Soccer.

Last Time Out For Saint Louis FC

STLFC made its much-anticipated return to Toyota Stadium last Friday and puts itself back on the winning track in USL play.  A.J. Cochran scored the first goal at Soccer Park since April 22 in the 23rd minute and Christian Volesky added a tally in the 49th minute to give the home club a 2-0 win.

Scheduling, combined with disastrous flooding in the St. Louis region meant STLFC played five straight matches away from home. In between matches in St. Louis, the club played in Florida twice, South Carolina, Kansas and Michigan. They also held training sessions for a time at the St. Louis Scott Gallagher complex in Illinois while World Wide Technology Soccer Park was under water.

Newcomer Emir Alihidivoc assisted on Cochran’s goal, while José Angulo assisted Volesky.

The Middle of The East After Ten Games

After ten games, Preki has Saint Louis FC sitting in eighth place in the USL East. Of the teams ahead of Saint Louis in the conference, all but two have played more matches on the season.

Bethlehem Steel FC sits two spots behind STLFC in the conference with 13 points through 11 matches.

Three points on Sunday could put STLFC in the upper echelon of the conference depending on other results.

Seku Conneh Leads Bethlehem Steel FC

Saint Louis FC will be playing on more rest than their opponent on Sunday, for once. Bethlehem Steel FC will have had a week’s rest coming into Sunday’s match, having played to a 1-1 draw last weekend with Ottawa Fury FC.

The result was Bethlehem’s first draw of the season, a fact that has been a welcome change for some of their fans. Roughly a third of the club’s games last season ended in a draw.

Seku Conneh scored Bethlehem’s goal against Ottawa and, like Volesky, was a finalist for the Week 11 USL Goal of the Week.

Conneh leads Bethlehem with six goals this season after scoring twice in 18 matches played last season. A native of Liberia, Conneh was signed last season by the Union out of the Dutch second division. He has yet to appear for the MLS side, but did get called up twice last year to represent Liberia in qualifying matches for the African Cup of Nations.

Conneh is one of seven players to score this season for Bethlehem Steel FC. Cory Burke (2) is the only other player to record more than a single goal this season. Overall, the club has scored 13 goals on the season while allowing 14.

Burke will miss Sunday’s match as he has been called on to represent Jamaica in an international friendly against Peru on June 13.

The History of Bethlehem Steel Football Club

Bethlehem Steel FC, which is in its second season in the USL, is named after one of the most successful soccer clubs in the United States in the early 1900s. The club won the National Challenge Cup (now the Lamar Hunt U.S Open Cup) five times from 1915-1926

The East End Army is the official supporters group of the club. The group’s name is a nod to East End Field where the original Bethlehem Steel Football Club played its matches. Members of the East End Army sit in their own section at Goodman Stadium. In order to purchase tickets in The Forge, fans must join the supporters group for $27.

Saint Louis FC Makes Return Visit To Goodman Stadium In October

An average of 3,028 fans have shown up at Murray H. Goodman Stadium this season for Steel matches. The 16,000-seat stadium opened in 1988 and sits on the Goodman campus of Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

Tickets for Bethlehem Steel FC matches run from $15-$22. However, the club is currently running a promotion on Groupon where fans can purchase two general admission tickets for $15.

STLFC will close the 2017 USL regular season with a match at Goodman Stadium on Saturday October 15.

Stanley To Miss Matches For Club To Play For Country

Aedan Stanley, the youngest player on the roster for head coach Preki and the only one juggling high school classes along with soccer duties, will miss at least the next two matches for the club.

While the official announcement from U.S. Soccer is mysteriously no where to be found, an excellent article on Stanley from Tom Timmerman in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch revealed that Stanley left St. Louis this week on 12-day trip. It’s not his senior trip.

Aedan Stanley will join the Under-18 United States Men’s National Team for a tournament in Portugal. Stanley has been a stalwart on the back line for Preki as of late. He’s played the full 90 minutes in each of the club’s last three league matches.

Volesky & Angulo Lead Saint Louis FC In Scoring

With his goal last week Christian Volesky returned to the club lead in goals. He now shares the top spot with fellow striker José Angulo at 4 goals.  Angulo is also tied for the team lead in assists with two.

To date, the club has scored 12 goals in USL matches while allowing 13.

MLS Club Chicago Fire Comes To St. Louis On Wednesday

STLFC will take of the Chicago Fire of Major League Soccer in the fourth round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on Wednesday June 14. By virtue of winning a “coin flip”, the match will be played at the Toyota Stadium in Fenton, not Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Illinois.

The match was previously scheduled for 7:30 pm, but has been moved up to a 7 pm kickoff on Wednesday.

Tickets for the match are on sale now at SaintLouisFC.com or by calling 636-680-0097.

Wednesday’s match will mark the first time a St. Louis team has hosted an MLS team. Check back to RealLifeSTL next week for a more in-depth look at the match.

1764 Package Offered For Sunday’s Match

Tickets are still available for Sunday’s match at Soccer Park. The club is offering The 1764 Offer, which includes a general admission ticket, hot dog, soda and popcorn for just $17.64.

The 1764 Offer is available online at SaintLouisFC.com or by calling 636-680-0997.

1764 alludes to the founding of St. Louis in 1764 by Pierre Laclède and Auguste Chouteau. Fans are invited to stay at Soccer Park after Sunday’s match concludes to watch the United States Men’s National Team vs Mexico telecast while enjoy food and drink specials.

Need a ride on Sunday? The Pub 2 Park shuttles will be running from their standard locations. Shuttles from Amsterdam Tavern, Smugala’s in Sunset Hill and Molly’s In Soulard will leave at 2:30 pm with the shuttle from Hot Shots in Fenton leaving at 3: 15 pm.

Head here to reserve your spot on Pub 2 Park shuttle.

Stream Sunday’s Match On YouTube, Get Ready For The Match With The St. Louligans

Like every USL match this season, Sunday’s match between Saint Louis FC and Bethlehem Steel FC will be streamed live on YouTube. Can’t make it out to Soccer Park? Check back here on Sunday to watch the stream.

Need to get in the mood for the match? Listen to the latest episode of the This Is Silly! podcast from the St. Louligans. The trio of characters are joined in the basement by Christian Volesky.

On Sunday, the St. Louligans will be out in the parking lot at Soccer Park with a nacho bar and refreshments to benefit their designated charity of the week.

The band of merry men, women and generally cool people will be joined by Steven Bernasconi this week. Bernasconi is making the St. Louis stop as part of The Soccer Tour, his journey exploring the game of soccer across the country. Bernasconi began his journey back in February and will finish up in October.

Saint Louis FC vs Bethlehem Steel FC

Brought to you by Mills Apartments