ST. LOUIS — The sports scene in downtown St. Louis grew larger on Saturday night as hundreds celebrated as the city's new soccer team and its inaugural match.
A number of bars and restaurants opened their doors to fans to watch the game against Austin FC which St. Louis beat 3-2.
Jeremy and Becky Johnson were dripped in the team's gear at Ballpark Village, where the game was blasted on the big screen at Bally's Sports Live! in Ballpark Village, and a watch party was held at Sports Social.
"We're excited. This is like historic for St. Louis. Season ticket holders. We just really can't wait. It's been a long time coming," he said.
"I played soccer my whole life. He played soccer his whole life so we're just really excited to be here and see it come St. Louis," Becky added.
Fans who traveled to Austin to watch the team's historic start sent 5 On Your Side pictures and videos of the crowds there.
For Collin Bryan, the team's addition is just another reason for he and his friends to show their St. Louis Pride.
“It's a sports town. The people here, the community, they want to rally around something, and a soccer team is going to be one of the best ways to do it,” Bryan said.
Clayton Short celebrated the team on his 30th birthday.
“They're a great team. They bring in great players. I mean our goalie is the backup at Dortmund,” Short said.
In just another week, STL CITY SC will play in their brand new open-air CITYPARK stadium downtown. The match is at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday.