STL CITY’s U17 Team Looks to Bounce Back Against Sporting KC’s U17 Team
Coming off a seven-goal thriller in Indiana, St. Louis CITY SC’s U17s will resume their MLS NEXT campaign against cross-state rivals Sporting KC U17s at Victory Field on Saturday, September 25 at 2 p.m. CST. STL CITY will be eager to get the three points after registering close defeats in their last two outings.
STL CITY U17 team have been outstanding in front of goal this season, registering 17 goals in 4 matches, however, they have also conceded 11 goals in the same period. Despite dominating games for large spells, STL CITY are slow to get off the blocks, conceding early goals in their previous matches.
“Simply put, we have to do a better job of starting games,” explained Luis Swisher, St. Louis CITY Academy Assistant Coach. “We’ve talked about it in training this week and it takes all of us – the coaches as well as the players to commit to being strong defensively. Our soccer philosophy involves defending as a unit and so we have to get in that mindset of being proactive to win the ball back and not allow goals.”
STL CITY will come up against a strong Sporting KC side, who historically have been one of the best academy teams in the country. After beating Chicago Fire FC 3-0 in their opening game, they dropped their next two games against Colorado Rapids FC and Real Colorado SC. With both teams looking to get back to winning ways, it should set up an intense game of attacking soccer for the fans.
“Our games should always be intense regardless of who we are facing,” said Elvir Kafedžić, St. Louis CITY Academy Assistant Coach. “It demands a lot from the players but this is our playing style and we want to stay true to our identity. We know they have a good team, but our philosophy won’t change. We want to attack our opponents while making it difficult for them to generate chances. So, for us, this is another chance to continue improving.”
COACHES’ NOTES
Here’s what the St. Louis CITY SC Academy Coaches expect to see heading into this week’s match:
- Be prepared and focused from the first minute of the game
- Keep hustling and maintain our style of play
- Be able to deal with adversity – especially in the final minutes of the game
To learn more about the academy, find player bios and rosters here.
Stay up to date on all things St. Louis CITY SC by downloading the official team app and following the club on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
