ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) – Local soccer players are expressing excitement about St. Louis hosting Olympic soccer matches in 2028, with hopes the games will elevate the city’s soccer profile and boost interest in the sport.
Fourteen-year-old Emry Antisdel, who plays for the St. Louis Stars Soccer Club, said he believes the Olympics will showcase the city’s soccer passion.
“I feel like it’s going to be really good for the city of St. Louis, I feel like it’s overlooked and one of the best cities at soccer, if not the best, and I think playing at City Park, it would give St. Louis a better soccer system,” Antisdel said.
St. Louis will host group stage and knockout matches leading up to the gold medal games in Los Angeles at the Rose Bowl Stadium in summer 2028.
Michael Woodson, the ECNL RL Director for the Stars, said St. Louis has long been a soccer city.
“There’s no question that it’s a soccer city, it’s been here since I was a kid, soccer’s huge here, it’s a hotbed of youth soccer,” he said. “Great for the city, great for soccer itself, it’s growing so fast it’s only going to bring more interest.”
Ezra Murphy, another young player, is excited to see the fanbase grow in the area.
“It used to be that there wasn’t very much soccer in the United States, and now it’s getting more focused on that, and it’s one of the main sports, so it’s really interesting to see this will be a place where there will be Olympic soccer matches,” he said.
The athletes were among those practicing at TOCA Soccer St. Louis near the Grove Tuesday. The facility provides space for teams and individuals to practice their skills.
Nick Nelson, the general manager of TOCA Soccer, said the facility hopes to benefit from increased interest in soccer during the Olympics.
“The drive and eyes, hopefully tourism, and businesses like us can definitely benefit from having a new soccer interest in people in town, spread the good work of TOCA and spread the good word of all the good soccer businesses in the town as well,” Nelson said.
Antisdel said he looks forward to seeing soccer’s community bonds strengthen as St. Louis prepares to welcome international competition.
“I think the community is so special, everything about it, there’s so many good clubs, we’re all a family,” he said.
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