Everything you need to know about the first match at CITYPARK

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (KMOV) - More than 22,000 fans will pack St. Louis CITY SC’s stadium CITYPARK this Wednesday for the inaugural match, an international friendly between City2 and Bayer 04 Leverkusen.

News4 got a behind-the-scenes look at the stadium as it prepares to welcome fans for the first time.

“It is still a preview event,” said Matt Sebek, Chief Experience Officer for St. Louis SC.

They want fans to come in, see the stadium, taste the local food options and experience the state-of-the-art fan experience.

“One of the great features is we want to be the first of the new, not last of the old. Part of what that’s all about, the mobile phone or the smartphone, is going to play a huge role. It’s ticketless, it’s cashless and it’s frictionless,” said Lee Broughton, the team’s Chief Brand Officer.

With short halves and a quick halftime, speed is off the essence. St. Louis SC has designed a stadium and a concession experience that is all about getting fans quickly back to their seats.

“You’re going to get be able to get up, get through the line and get back to your seat and never miss any of the action,” said Patrick Carver, a member of the St. Louligans, the St. Louis soccer er group.

The St. Louligans will pack the er Section. The seating area on the north end of the stadium is a standing-room only area which is designed for the ultimate fan experience. It’s built to carry the chants, the drums and the screams to help bring up the noise level.

“We think that’s going to have a real sense of aggression,” explained Broughton.

The St. Louligans will host a tailgate on Wednesday at 4:00pm outside the Schlafly Taproom.

The gates at CITY Park open at 5:30pm. The kickoff for the match will be at 7:08pm.

There is still road construction surrounding the stadium, especially on Market Street. The team says it should be completed later this year. The parking garage is not yet complete at Olive and 20th. There are surface lots, street parking and a nearby Metrolink stop for fans.

Limited tickets for the match are still available: https://www.stlcitysc.com/

If you can’t score tickets to Wednesday’s game or just can’t make it downtown you can stream the game on ESPN+ or watch the game in Spanish at Líder Sports Media. To listen to the game you can tune in to KMOX.

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