ST. LOUIS — The wait for Major League Soccer in St. Louis is almost over.
The road to getting a team in St. Louis has been a long journey, but soon soccer will be in full swing in the city.
St. Louis CITY SC will hit the pitch for their first regular season game on Saturday, Feb. 25. Their first game in Citypark will be on Saturday, March 4.
Here's everything you need to know ahead of the 2023 season.
History
Many previous attempts for a bid at an MLS team in St. Louis were made throughout the years, the first in 2007 and again in 2014 and 2016. But no official bids were made to MLS and the possibility of a team was diminished.
Officials in St. Louis and MLS representatives began talks of building a stadium and St. Louis' bid for a team starting in 2018. St. Louis' MLS bid was re-launched on Oct. 9, 2018, with Carolyn Kindle and other investors backing the plan.
Continued efforts including a stadium location and plan were approved in late 2019 by the St. Louis Board of Aldermen's Housing, Urban Development and Zoning Committee.
In April 2019, the MLS announced plans to expand to 30 teams. Officials began advance discussions with St. Louis with renderings and more information about the proposed stadium.
MLS officially announced its approval for St. Louis' bid on Aug. 20, 2019, as the league's 28th franchise with an expected start in the 2022 season.
Ground broke on the stadium in February 2022 and was completed in November 2022.
The team's name, colors and crest were announced in August 2020. The franchise would be named "CITY SC" with red, navy and yellow as the primary colors for the team.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the team's inaugural season was pushed back from 2022 to 2023. The team's inaugural season schedule was announced in December 2022.
Their first game will be on the road against Austin DC on Feb. 25 with their first home game on March 4.
Find the team's full schedule and roster ahead of their first game here.
Where, how to watch CITY SC
Apple will be the exclusive provider of MLS matches as part of their 10-year deal.
Apple will offer an "MLS season pass" which lets viewers watch on TVs, phones and other devices. It will cost $13 a month or $79 for the season if you are already subscribed to the Apple TV+ streaming service, which costs $7 a month by itself.
If you don't subscribe to Apple TV+, the season pass will cost $15 a month or $99 for the season.
Viewers don't need to own an Apple product to download and stream on Apple TV. The streaming app is available for download on other services including Amazon Fire TV and Roku. Apple TV also is available in a web browser at tv.apple.com.
With the MLS season pass, there will be no blackouts for local games.
Every week, Apple will make six of its Saturday matches available for free without needing to sign up for an MLS season pass or Apple TV+. Viewers will need to log in with an Apple ID, however.
All opening weekend matches for the MLS 2023 season will be free to watch. There will also be a handful of matches that air on Fox and FS1, but otherwise, they will stream on Apple TV+.
Find the full MLS schedule and free games through Apple TV+ here.
Soccer terms
Soccer language can be tricky with different terms and phrases used during matches, or games.
Here is a list of some terms to know:
Corner kick: If the defense touches the ball over the end line, the offensive team then gets to place the ball in the corner of the pitch and kicks it toward the middle.
Cross: A kick from one side of the pitch into the middle.
Free kick: When there is a foul, the team who was fouled gets to kick a stationary ball to resume play.
Goal kick: If the offense touches the ball over the end line, the ball is placed at the corner of the six-yard box and the goalie will kick it to resume play.
Handball: A violation when a non-goalie-positioned player touches the ball with their hand or arm.
Header: Hitting the ball with your head.
Match: A soccer game.
Penalty/Penalty kick: If a foul occurs in the goalie box, it is called a penalty. The player will attempt a penalty kick from the 12-yard line away from the goal. Only the goalie is allowed to try and stop it.
Penalty shootout: Following a tie, a penalty shootout occurs. Each team will take five penalty kicks to decide on a winner.
Pitch: Another word for the field a soccer game is played on.
Punt: When the goalie dropkicks the ball.
Red Card: A card that ends in a player's ejection from the game. It is drawn either by one bad play/action or by receiving two yellow cards. Players who are ejected will not be replaced, the team will be down a player.
Stoppage/Added time: At the end of each half, the referee adds additional time on the clock to make up for delays.
Tackle: A player's attempt to steal the ball from an opposing player, oftentimes you see this involving a slide.
Throw-in: When a ball goes out of bounds, an overhead throw will be performed by a player to resume play.
Trap: Stopping the ball with your body in order to control it.
Volley: A player kicks the ball with it is in the air.
Wall: In an attempt to block a free kick, a team will set up a row of players 10 yards away from where the kick is occurring.
Yellow Card: A bad action/play by a player, they are then cautioned by the referee with a yellow card.
Positions
Goalie: A position to guard the goal. They are the only players allowed to use their hands.
Defender: A position that is the last line of defense in front of the goalie.
Midfielder: Position between defenders and forwards, specializes in passing and moving the ball toward the goal.
Forward: Soccer's attacking position, furthest up the pitch.
Want more local sports delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for the 5 On Your Side Sports Plus newsletter.