When Lutz Pfannenstiel was hired, St. Louis had a GM trio for the first time since 2015. The list included Cardinals GM John Mozeliak, Blues GM Doug Armstrong, and then St. Louis Rams GM Les Snead. The difference between Lutz Pfannenstiel and Les Snead? Lutz wants to win in St. Louis, and he will win here. He’s not focused on dragging the team down to relocate them to LA. The whole reason he came to St. Louis is that he believes the potential is here and that it will be exciting. That excitement and potential was not here with the Rams.
The first step to building this team is the academy. The talent evaluation for the St. Louis CITY sc academy has been ongoing since Lutz arrived. He started by scouting high school soccer games. Then the team held invite-only trials, followed by open trials for kids born in ‘05-’06. On the 101espn radio show Karraker and Smallmon, Lutz revealed that rosters for the U16-U17 teams would be released in late June or early July. Those teams will kick off in the fall, specifically around August or September. The CITY academy will compete in the MLS’s academy system called “MLS NEXT.”
Lutz’s vision for the St. Louis CITY sc academy is different than others. Whether it’s the decision to make the academy free, or the fast-paced game they’re going to play, CITY will be different. All we know now about the fast-paced game is it will involve a lot of pressure and attacking. Lutz didn’t go into too many specifics, but that is the groundwork for the academy.
Finally, something that should excite players is the ability to use team resources. Players from U14 up to the actual MLS team will have access to team facilities when the construction of those facilities is complete in the summer of 2022. With that and the lack of a “pay to play” environment, players from all backgrounds should at least take a look at the St. Louis CITY sc Academy.
When it’s all said and done, CITY will be exciting. While we don’t know a lot about their style or how they’ll play, we will find out soon. With the academy, fans won’t have to wait till 2023 to get a look at what the team could be all about, and a new age of soccer in St. Louis is coming. It’s almost here.