Four Saint Louisans In MLS Final

[Mack_Dundee]

1) Taylor Twellman
2) Pat Noonan
3) Steve Rolston
4) Brad Davis

Saint Louis needs a team. From what I've heard through a couple of my friends who know something, and from what has been reported here, it looks like it is moving forward. Unfortunately, in my opinion, I'm hearing that the Saint Louis team wiil be playing in Illinois. Honestly, I think this is a HUGE mistake by ownership. I know the head man loves the Metro East, but I love Saint Louis University yet if you built a 70,000 college football stadium for SLU and put a football team in the MAC conference they would draw about 25,000. Love has nothing to do with it. Honestly, I believe a Metro East team, with their owner who isn't exactly loaded with money, will be in the same situation as Kansas City/San Jose/Miami/Tampa Bay in a few years. I hope I'm wrong.

[billikenfan]

Definitely hear your thoughts. I love SLU, also, and happen to think that one reason for their nationally-ranked success in attendance is a central location. You hit the nail on the head in reference to the ownership group's ability to pay for a stadium. The $30 mm expansion fee and likelihood of operating in the red for a few years makes it nearly impossible for them to also build a $100 mm stadium with private money. The City or County of St. Louis needs to pony up if fans want a soccer stadium in the city or county limits, but the likelihood of this happening is slim (STL City will be spending well over $100 mm in public funds on Ballpark Village around Busch.)

So, what all this means: as Garber as said, no interested market will get an expansion team unless they have plans for a soccer-specific stadium. If STL City/County continue to be retiscient to invest in soccer, then the only shot St. Louis has at an MLS team is to build a stadium in the Metro East, who is willing to invest in soccer.

The optimist in me would like to think that SLU's continued success in attendance is also attributed to the history, tradition, and performance of soccer both at the university and in St. Louis as a whole. If the MLS stadium is in the Metro East (rumor is that it's just across the River, not even as far away as Edwardsville), then it's because it's the only place they could build it. If the team honors the rich soccer culture & history of St. Louis, then hopefully the stadium location will be irrelevant.

[McGinty]

Good post, billikenfan. If the location is in Illinois, I know some of the more provincial soccer fans around here will spin it that Cooper went there because he's from the Metro East, but I'm certain that Illinois was not his first choice.

I wouldn't be too concerned about the money with this group. Maybe not 100% privately financing a stadium money, but they have plenty of money.

[Sport Billy]

1) Taylor Twellman
2) Pat Noonan
3) Steve Rolston
4) Brad Davis

.

And I think they were all Scott-Gallagher players

[Marchetti]

Danny Wynn would technically be the fifth. But he hasn't played much for NE.

[billikenfan]

He was just released by NE the week before Thanksgiving. Martin Hutton, though not a St. Louis-native, was a SLU boy signed to a Developmental contract with Houston. I think he's still with them.