Sports

Photos: CityPark preps to welcome St. Louis City 2 fans for inaugural match against Leverkusen

St. Louis Public Radio | By Brian Munoz

Published November 15, 2022 at 11:14 AM CST

A worker carries equipment across the pitch at CITYPARK, home of St. Louis City SC, on Monday during a media walkthrough in Downtown West. — A worker carries equipment across the pitch at CityPark, home of St. Louis City SC, on Monday during a media walkthrough in Downtown West.

CityPark, St. Louis City SC’s stadium in Downtown West, features 22,500 seats, along with local eats and high-tech additions.

Webster Groves’ Balkan Treat Box and south St. Louis’ Steve's Hot Dogs and Burgers are among the restaurants that will headline the footy scran offered during St. Louis City SC’s inaugural season.

Fans will have an opportunity to get a taste of CityPark when St. Louis City 2 hosts the stadium's inaugural international friendly against Bayer 04 Leverkusen — a professional football club based in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. The club competes in the Bundesliga, the top tier of German football.

See photos from the media tour at the stadium:

CITYPARK, home of St. Louis City SC, on Monday, Nov. 14, 2022, in Downtown West. — CityPark, home of St. Louis City SC, on Monday in Downtown West.

St. Louis City 2’s Joshua Yaro (#15) celebrates after a successful kick on Monday, Nov. 14, 2022, during a team practice at CITYPARK, home of St. Louis City SC, in Downtown West. — St. Louis City 2’s Joshua Yaro (#15) celebrates after a successful kick on Monday during a team practice at CityPark, home of St. Louis City SC, in Downtown West.

Rows of fan seats on Monday, Nov. 14, 2022, during a media walkthrough of CITYPARK, home of St. Louis City SC, in Downtown West. — Rows of fan seats on Monday during a media walkthrough of CityPark, home of St. Louis City SC, in Downtown West.

A branded soft drink drink fountain on Monday, Nov. 14, 2022, during a media walkthrough of CITYPARK, home of St. Louis City SC, in Downtown West. — A branded soft drink fountain on Monday during a media walkthrough of CityPark, home of St. Louis City SC, in Downtown West.

CITYPARK, home of St. Louis City SC, boasts 360 degree windows at the stadium on Monday, Nov. 14, 2022, in Downtown West. — CityPark, home of St. Louis City SC, boasts 360-degree windows at the stadium on Monday in Downtown West.

Brian Munoz

St. Louis Public Radio

Lee Broughton, chief brand architect at St. Louis City SC, points out details in the new stadium on Monday during a media walkthrough of CityPark in Downtown West.

Bradley Carnell, head coach for St. Louis City SC, on Monday, Nov. 14, 2022, during a team practice at CITYPARK, home of St. Louis City SC, in Downtown West. — Bradley Carnell, head coach of St. Louis City SC, on Monday during a City 2 practice at CityPark, the new stadium in Downtown West.

Red, white and blue fan seats circle the pitch at CITYPARK, home of St. Louis City SC, on Monday, Nov. 14, 2022, in Downtown West. — Red, white and blue fan seats circle the pitch at CityPark, home of St. Louis City SC, on Monday in Downtown West.

A worker brings out an oversized light used to keep grass growing when it sits in the shade on Monday, Nov. 14, 2022, during a media walkthrough of CITYPARK, home of St. Louis City SC, in Downtown West. — A worker brings out an oversize light used to keep grass growing when it sits in the shade on Monday at CityPark in Downtown West.

Members of the media tour CITYPARK, home of St. Louis City SC, on Monday, Nov. 14, 2022, in Downtown West. — Members of the media tour the new soccer stadium on Monday in Downtown West.

CITYPARK, home of St. Louis City SC, features three high-tech grab-and-go markets on Monday, Nov. 14, 2022, during a media walkthrough in Downtown West. Scanners and camera technology will allow you to scan your payment card and automatically charge you once you leave. — CityPark, home of St. Louis City SC, features three high-tech, grab-and-go markets. Scanners and camera technology will allow customers to scan their payment card and automatically be charged once they leave.

A beer stand along with CITY branding in the seats above on Monday, Nov. 14, 2022, during a media walkthrough of CITYPARK, home of St. Louis City SC, in Downtown West. — A beer stand at CityPark, home of St. Louis City SC.

An oversized St. Louis City SC is displayed in their premiere “Pitch Club” on Monday, Nov. 14, 2022, during a media walkthrough of CITYPARK in Downtown West. — An oversize, backlit St. Louis City SC logo is displayed in CityPark's Pitch Club on Monday.

Matt Sebek, chief experience officer for St. Louis City SC, speaks about mobile food ordering on Monday, Nov. 14, 2022, during a media walkthrough of CITYPARK in Downtown West. — Matt Sebek, chief experience officer for St. Louis City SC, speaks about mobile food ordering on Monday during a media walkthrough of CityPark in Downtown West.

High-end seating, screens and bars are featured in St. Louis City SC’s premiere Pitch Club on Monday, Nov. 14, 2022, during a media walkthrough of the stadium in Downtown West. The teams will walk through the club to enter the pitch. — High-end seating, screens and bars are featured in St. Louis City SC’s Pitch Club on Monday during a media walkthrough of the stadium in Downtown West.

A member of the media takes a photograph of a Mill Creek Valley Map on Monday, Nov. 14, 2022, during a media walkthrough of CITYPARK, home of St. Louis City SC, in Downtown West. The neighborhood, wiped out by city officials and now where the stadium sits, is memorialized through Damond Davis’ “Pillars of the Valley” art installation. — A member of the media takes a photograph of a Mill Creek Valley map on Monday during a media walkthrough of CityPark, home of St. Louis City SC, in Downtown West. The historic neighborhood, wiped out by city officials in 1959 and now the site of the soccer stadium, is memorialized through Damond Davis’ “Pillars of the Valley” art installation.

Residents names from Mill Creek Valley on Monday, Nov. 14, 2022, during a media walkthrough of CITYPARK, home of St. Louis City SC, in Downtown West. The neighborhood, wiped out by city officials and now where the stadium sits, is memorialized through Damon Davis’ “Pillars of the Valley” art installation. — The names of residents who lived in Mill Creek Valley line the "Pillars of the Valley" memorial on Monday during a media walkthrough of CityPark, home of St. Louis City SC, in Downtown West.

The sun breaks on a memorial for Mill Creek Valley on Monday, Nov. 14, 2022, during a media walkthrough of CITYPARK, home of St. Louis City SC, in Downtown West. The neighborhood, wiped out by city officials and now where the stadium sits, is memorialized through Damon Davis’ “Pillars of the Valley.” — The sun breaks on a memorial for Mill Creek Valley on Monday during a media walkthrough of CityPark, home of St. Louis City SC, in Downtown West. The neighborhood, wiped out by city officials in 1959 and now the site of the stadium, is memorialized through Damon Davis’ “Pillars of the Valley.”

Brian Munoz is a staff photojournalist and multimedia reporter at St. Louis Public Radio. You can reach him by email at bmunoz@stlpr.org and follow his work on social media at @brianmmunoz.