Saint Louis FC Will Travel Into Kansas This Weekend To Take On Swope Park Rangers

Local United Soccer League club Saint Louis FC will continue its two-match road trip this Saturday against the Swope Park Rangers. Kickoff at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas is scheduled for 7:30 pm.

The Chupacabras and Rangers are tied for fifth place in the USL’s Western Conference with identical 3-1-2 records this season.

Swope Park is coming off a 2-2 draw with Phoenix Rising FC last weekend. Saint Louis FC beat Oklahoma City Energy FC 1-0 in Oklahoma last Saturday.

Saint Louis FC returns to St. Louis and the friendly confines of Toyota Stadium at World Wide Technology Soccer Park May 5 to take on Portland Timbers 2.

Last Time Out

On a sloppy, chilly, rainy night in Oklahoma City last Saturday, Saint Louis FC took a 1-0 victory over Oklahoma City Energy FC. Christian Volesky scored the lone goal of the game and Jake Fenlason picked up his third clean sheet of the season.

Swope Park and Phoenix Rising played to a 2-2  draw last weekend in Phoenix. A wild two minutes marked the end of the match as Kharlton Belmar scored for the Rangers in the 88th minute and Solomon Asante scored the equalizer in the 89th.

Reynolds Named To USL Team of the Week

Defender Sean Reynolds is among five players on STLFC roster who have spent every minute of the season on the pitch for Anthony Pulis the season.

Reynolds was named to the USL Team of the Week earlier today for his performance against Oklahoma City.

Speaking of Sean Reynolds, he modeled some team gear earlier today on Twitter.

 

Sean Reynolds visited the Fan Shop the other day…

And by the end of this video we need you to answer a serious question: Should @sir_reynolds_ incorporate hats into his daily look? pic.twitter.com/FNJGTDuqYY

— Saint Louis FC (@SaintLouisFC) April 24, 2018

Scouting Swope Park

Swope Park, the USL affiliate of Major League Soccer’s Sporting Kansas City, went 17-7-8 last season. The club beat Oklahoma City  Energy FC on penalty kicks in the Western Conference Finals before falling to Louisville City 1-0 in the USL Championship.

A key player from last season’s roster, former STLFC defender James Musa, is now with another USL club. Musa signed a two-year contract with  Didier Drogba’s Phoenix Rising FC last month after being waived by Sporting KC. The New Zealand native was the MVP for the Rangers last season.

The aforementioned Belmar leads the Rangers attack with seven goals on the season. In the month of March the Virginia native scored four goals, to go with two assists, in three matches and was named the USL Player of the Month.  He’s also been named to the USL Team of the Week two weeks in a row.

Rodrigo Saravia (2 ) is the only other player to account for more than a single tally among the team’s 13 on the season.

Rangers Roster Features Several St. Louis Connections In Maher, Bilyeau & Kuzain

The Swope Park roster features three players with St. Louis connections.

Former Saint Louis FC defender Parker Maher is in his second season with Swope and Christian Brothers College High School Graduate Justin Bilyeu is in his first.

Carbondale, Illinois native and St. Louis Scott Gallagher product Wan Kuzain Wan Kamal could also see the pitch Saturday.

Kuzain was signed earlier this month as a Homegrown Player by Sporting Kansas City.  The 19-year old midfielder signed an academy contract with Saint Louis FC back in 2016.  He would then move to the Sporting KC Academy before signing a full professional contract with the Swope Park Rangers in July of last year.  He chose the professional route over a college soccer offer from the University of Akron.

Kuzain is signed with the MLS side through 2020 and also has options for the next two seasons as well. When he sees his first MLS action, he will be the first player to progress through all three stages of the Sporting KC Academy.

Wan Kuzain  Wan Kamal has played five matches for the Swope Park Rangers this season, spending 405 minutes on the field.

Match Moved To Home Of Sporting KC

The Swope Park Rangers game against Oklahoma City Energy FC scheduled for April 14 at Shawnee Mission District South Stadium was postponed the Thursday before.  The rumor is that the game was postponed because the field at the high school football stadium doesn’t meet league standards.  The Rangers have played one game at the stadium this season. The second home game had to be moved to Children’s Mercy Park, where Sporting KC plays, because of a scheduling conflict at the school district’s stadium.

SPR called Swope Park Soccer Village home last season. The club was forced to move for this season due to  it not having the league-mandated 5,000 seats for spectators.

Late Tuesday afternoon it was announced that all of the remaining Swope Park Rangers home games in 2018 would be moved to Children’s Mercy Park. This also includes the scheduled match on September, which has been moved up to 4 pm.

Louligan Watch Party Set For Kirkwood Station

With this weekend’s match within easier driving distance, many members of the STLFC faithful will be making the trip across Missouri. The St. Louligans, at least the ones not traveling to Kansas, will be hosting a watch party again at Kirkwood Station Brewing company Saturday night.

This week’s match is not one of the featured matches airing on KPLR 11 in the St. Louis area. The only way to stream the Saint Louis FC vs Swope Park Rangers match live will be through ESPN+.

Speaking of the St. Louligans, you’ll want to listen to the latest episode of the This Is Silly! podcast. Forward Corey Hertzog sits down with the lads for this episode.

Brought to you by Mills Apartments