ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - We're still about two years away from the first Major League Soccer match in St. Louis CITY SC history, but the team's philosophy is already beginning to take shape under sporting director Lutz Pfannenstiel.
He was a guest on KMOX's Total Information AM on Monday and discussed what type of team he's looking to build before the inaugural MLS season in 2023.
"Overall, we want to create or own DNA, our own philosophy," Pfannenstiel says. "The way St. Louis City SC should play will be a fast game based on lots of pace, based a lot on transition, high-pressing, exciting kind of game. So we want to stay away from a pure passing and possession game because I think that's not up to date anymore. So we want to play a little bit different. It should be positively aggressive, winning balls, trying to go forward and I think attacking is the best defense."
In recent weeks, he's been looking for local players to develop in the team's academy and create a system full of homegrown talent. It's a team that he wants to reflect the city it's in, by using as many players from the greater St. Louis area as possible.
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"The goal must always be to be different, to be special," Pfannenstiel says. "And I think we want to focus more on young players, more on homegrown players, more on local talent than most other MLS clubs."
This weekend was the final open trial for youth players interested in joining the tam's youth academy, which will compete in MLS Next that begins play this fall.
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