In a world that is becoming more and more divided, few things in life have the power to actually unite people like the game of soccer.
I have literally traveled to all four corners of the Continental 48 and (many points in between) in search of soccer experiences at the highest of levels (like San Diego FC and Seattle Sounders) to the lowest professional levels (like Portland Hearts of Pine and FC Naples).
And I found one common theme in all these clubs: unity.
Thousands of people gathered in one spot to support one badge that represents their city...their hopes...their personalities.
Portland Hearts of Pine fans in the "Dirigo Union" unveil their "Welcome To Maine: The Way Soccer Should Be" tifo at their first-ever home match on May 4th, 2025
But I've also observed a sense of community in the "non-leagues" of America. In 2025, I covered the mostly-all-St. Louis division of the Midwest Premier League. Featuring such unique clubs like:
• Ehtar Belleville FC: A community club that leans hard into the "Little Egypt" moniker of southern Illinois.
• BOHFS St. Louis: A south St. Louis club with strong Bosnian ties that gives opportunities to veteran and young players alike.
• AFC Columbia: The one "non-St. Louis" club in this division building strong community ties with an emphasis on fan experience.
• Club Atletico St. Louis: A "graybeard" of the Midwest Premier League who prioritize giving players chances they might not otherwise get.
• St. Louis Stars: A spiritual successor to the NASL team of old that develops youngsters for the collegiate level and had to find a new home in Cottleville after their usual pitch was damaged by a tornado
• St. Louis Development Academy: The former Sporting St. Louis wing of Sporting KC was the youngest club in the division, but played under Jim Wipke, a highly respected local coach.
This was the first year this division had such a strong St. Louis base. Which is promising for the future of local soccer, but also a tad unfortunate that the halcyon days of local clubs like Kutis Funeral Home and Simpkins Ford are a mere memory. For a city that respects its past as a point of pride, the lack of a strong local soccer scene (when compared to places like Chicago, Detroit, or even Minneapolis) over the past few decades is glaring.
But knowing how much this city loves its local soccer, and seeing examples of communities rallying around their clubs elsewhere for clubs like Des Moines Menace, Peoria City, and St. Petersburg FC, I have one question for you:
Why can't we have that here?
"The Society" SG of Des Moines Menace reveal their tifo before their U.S. Open Cup match with USL1's Union Omaha on April 2, 2025
Sure, we have a big MLS club that draws 20,000+ fans week in and week out. Sure, that club has a strong supporters group culture. And sure, that club has a lot of bells and whistles that make going to games attractive like local food vendors.
But those games are not particularly affordable. The tickets are (mostly) not affordable. The food is not affordable. The drinks are not affordable. The merch is not affordable. It's a premium product at a premium level of soccer in the U.S. run by a for-profit ownership group.
What about the rest of us?
"It has to start somewhere, it has to start sometime.
What better place than here, what better time than now?"
Rage Against The Machine's "Guerrilla Radio"
Join usThat's why I am helping with this project. St. Louis needs a fan-built community club like this. And St. Louis needs to develop a lower league soccer culture that we lost when St. Louis FC was sacrificed to the football gods to give us an MLS team.
If soccer is the lifeblood, fans are the heartbeat. There is a saying in European football: "Football is nothing without fans." And that is true in every sense of the sport. Without fans, it's just 11 guys playing 11 guys in a park. There are no stadiums. There is no atmosphere. There is no culture. There are no trophies. There are no sponsors.
There is no dream.
And in this time of division, fans still seek the community that only soccer can really provide. A place for people of a wide variety of backgrounds that would otherwise have no reason to get together to do just that. To enjoy the highs and lows of their club on the field. To enjoy each other's company. To create memories that link us together. To provide our families with an affordable experience. To give kids a connection to the players they dream to become.
To build something...brick by brick.
Let's build something special, St. Louis.
