AC St. Louis
AC St. Louis | |||
Basic data | |||
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Surname | Athletic Club of St. Louis | ||
Seat | St. Louis | ||
founding | 2009 | ||
resolution | 2011 | ||
president | Jeff Cooper | ||
Website | www.ac-stlouis.com | ||
First soccer team | |||
Head coach | Dale Schilly | ||
Venue | Anheuser-Busch Soccer Park | ||
Places | 5,500 | ||
league | USSF D2 Pro League | ||
2010 | 5. (NASL Conference) | ||
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The Athletic Club of St. Louis (short: AC St. Louis) is a former American football franchise in St. Louis . The team, founded in 2009, played its first and only season in the NASL Conference of the USSF Division 2 Professional League , the second highest league in the USA and Canada during the 2010 season.
The USSF D2 Pro League was a temporary football league that only lasted for the 2010 season. It was used by the United States Soccer Federation as a compromise between the USL and NASL .
history
Originally, the team owner Jeff Cooper wanted to create a team for Major League Soccer . Together with the Cooper-led investment group St. Louis Soccer United (SLSU), professional football should find its way into the greater St. Louis area . The Collinsville Soccer Complex, which was already being planned, was to be built in Collinsville (Illinois) .
The MLS rejected an initial proposal due to the limited financial resources the SLSU could raise, but agreed when Cooper expanded his group of investors. But after the prices for an MLS franchise rose, Cooper decided against the MLS.
In November 2009 he changed St. Louis Soccer United to the Athletic Club of St. Louis. Cooper was also the initiator for a remake of the North American Soccer League . He wanted to create an alternative to the existing United Soccer Leagues system. Many clubs in the USL First Division followed suit. After a very heated trial with the USL, the USSF ruled the NASL inadmissible. At the same time, however, the association decreed that both interest groups should work out a proposal for a league operation in the 2010 season.
The USSF Division-2 Professional League was presented on January 7, 2010, where both USL and NASL clubs are allowed to play. St. Louis plays in the NASL Conference.
Due to financial difficulties, the St. Louis Athletica women's team had to be discontinued in May 2010 . At the time, Cooper was keen to secure the Saints' financial future.
On June 25, 2010, the first coach of the St. Louis soccer franchise, Claude Anelka, was fired. He was succeeded by Dale Schilly. St. Louis finished its first season in fifth place in the NASL Conference. The team did not reach the play-offs. In the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, they lost to Los Angeles Galaxy in the round of 16 .
After the first season, Cooper wanted to sell the franchise. Since the financial situation did not allow any further gaming operations and no buyer could be found, AC St. Louis was dissolved in January 2011.
Squad
These players formed the team at the last St. Louis game.
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Known previous players
- Steve Ralston (2010)
Trainer
- Claude Anelka (2009-2010)
- Dale Schilly (2010)
Stadion
The soccer franchise has played its home games at the Anheuser-Busch Center in Fenton , Missouri . The venue, known as the Soccer Park, has a capacity of 5,500 spectators and, in addition to a soccer field, has four other places for lacrosse , hockey and other sports.
Season statistics
year | league | Regular season | Playoffs | US Open Cup |
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2010 | USSF D2 Pro League | NASL 5th place | not qualified | Round of 16 |
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ St. Louis Entry into NASL Announces Name, Coach and Director of Player Personal ( December 14, 2009 memento on the Internet Archive ) published December 8, 2009
- ↑ www.soccerbyives.net: USL outcasts to launch new league in 2010 published on November 10, 2009
- ↑ Division 2 Professional League To Operate in 2010 ( Memento from January 10, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) published on January 7, 2010
- ↑ St. Louis Business Journal: St. Louis Athletica soccer team shutting down published May 27, 2010
- ^ Dave Lange: AC St. Louis fires head coach Claude Anelka, Schilly takes over. St. Louis Globe-Democrat, LLC, June 25, 2010, archived from the original on June 30, 2010 ; accessed on December 24, 2013 .
- ^ AC St. Louis Closes its Doors for Good ( Memento from September 29, 2018 in the Internet Archive )