Toronto FC II hits the road to take on Saint Louis FC in a Friday night showdown. To get you set here is everything you need to know about Saint Louis FC:
2017 Season:
Following a year in the Western Conference, Saint Louis FC has switched back to its original conference for the 2017 season. Saint Louis FC currently sits in 11th in the Eastern Conference with a 3-3-3 record. After a strong start to the season, Saint Louis has not picked up a victory since April 12th.
Current Form:
DLDLL
Draw at Tampa Bay Rowdies (1-1)
Loss at Charleston Battery (1-0)
Draw at Orlando City B (0-0)
Loss vs. Charlotte Independence (2-1)
Loss at FC Cincinnati (4-0)
Last time we met:
Due to St. Louis’ move west, the two clubs have not met since the 2015 season. The clubs split the season series with one win apiece. TFC II was victorious in St. Louis 2-1 and was defeated at the OSC 1-0 later in the season.
Key Player: Christian Volesky
The former Rochester Rhino is in his first season with St. Louis. The forward has scored three goals for Saint Louis this season. Last year Volesky scored ten goals for Rochester. In 2015, he led the Rhinos to the USL Championship. He led the team in scoring with eight goals. The native of Henderson, Nevada was the 32nd overall pick in the 2015 MLS SuperDraft.
Unsung Hero: AJ Cochran
Cochran has made just seven starts but is second on the team with 376 passes. He has pinged balls at a 76.9% clip this season. The defender made 26 appearances with the Houston Dynamo between 2014-2015. He is a former 16th overall pick in the MLS SuperDraft.
Canadian Content
Though the Saint Louis Roster does not consist of any Canadian players, there is a pair of ties to the Reds in St. Louis.
Former Toronto FC II player Wesley Charpie is currently plying his trade in St. Louis. Charpie made 43 appearances for the Young Reds over the 2015-2016 seasons. The Reds originally selected Charpie with the 29th overall selection in the 2015 MLS SuperDraft. Charpie has made nine appearances this season; the defender currently leads the club in total passes.
The other connection to the Reds is on the sidelines. St. Louis’ head coach is Preki, the former Toronto FC bench boss. One of the MLS Originals was in charge of the first team between November 2009 and September 2010. He went 11-11-10 during his time in Toronto.
Projected Lineup:
Preki has sent out his squad in a flat 4-4-2 formation. Saint Louis does play a Tuesday U.S. Open Cup match against the Michigan Bucks so there could be some squad rotation come Friday.
