St. Louis played its home games at the Anheuser-Busch Soccer Park in nearby Fenton, Missouri. The team’s colors were green, white, and yellow. St. Louis was first coached by Claude Anelka, the older brother of French international striker Nicolas Anelka;[2] however, he was replaced by Dale Schilly midway through the club’s only season.

The men’s team was one of three parts of the sports club owned by St. Louis-native Jeff Cooper. Saint Louis Athletica of Women’s Professional Soccer, folding in 2010, and a large youth soccer league throughout the metropolitan area were the other components of AC St. Louis.

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Dufty’s chance to join Chicago stemmed from a practice mishap. Fire goalkeeper Sean Johnson was struck in the face with a ball, the resulting injury sent the Chicago coaching staff on a quick search for a back-up goalkeeper. A call to AC St. Louis Head Coach Dale Schilly was made inquiring about Dufty, and a quick loan agreement was reached. Dufty joins a Chicago team that is in 5th place in the Eastern conference of the MLS with a record of 7-11-8. The Fire are in action this Friday night at Columbus, and Dufty is expected to be in uniform.

“Every opportunity that Alec Dufty receives is earned,” stated Dale Schilly. “He singlehandedly won games for us early in the year, and he continued to help us gain points as the year progressed. I am sure he will make the most of this opportunity because Alec has a great commitment and work ethic in training.”

Dufty appeared in all 33 matches that AC St. Louis had in 2010, and played in every minute of every game. Dufty finished the season tied for the league lead in game played, and was second in minutes played with 2,692. Dufty was only eight minutes off a perfect mark of 2,700 minutes due to an abandoned game in August, which cost him eight minutes of playing time.

Dufty previously played in the MLS with Red Bull New York and the Columbus Crew. He made his MLS debut on April 11 of 2009 with Red Bull New York in a game against the Houston Dynamo. After being released by New York he was later called up the Columbus Crew.

In his first season with AC St. Louis Dufty recorded seven shutouts and seven wins for the expansion side. The 23-year old hails from Binghamton, New York, and attended college at Evansville and Appalachian State.

Chris Salvaggione opened the scoring in just the third minute of play as he collected a deflected ball inside the penalty area. Luis Gil, making a start at forward, took the initial shot which deflected off at least one Rochester defender before falling to Salvaggione who rammed it home for his third goal of the year.

Rochester, in need of a win to have a chance at the first seed in the playoffs, tied the game on a 60th minute goal by Isaac Kissi. The Rochester forward appeared to rise above St. Louis keeper Alec Dufty on the goal line to head home a cross. 20 minutes later Rochester would get their much need go-ahead goal as Isaac Kissi connected on a corner from Agustin Nunez for his second goal of the night.

St. Louis would make a valiant stoppage time attempt at a comeback only to have the equalizing goal disallowed for offside. Goalkeeper Alec Dufty was judged to be the offending player as he came all the way forward in the final minute. St. Louis played a ball over Dufty’s head as he back-pedaled into an on-side position before it bounced off a player and into the back of the net.

“I realized I was offside so I moved back as Luke Kreamalmeyer headed it over me,” recounted Dufty. “I saw the ball go off one of their players hands and into the goal. I didn’t play the ball so It could not have been me that was offside, and the referee informed me the infraction was not on my side of the field.”

Winger Luke Kreamalmeyer was informed differently by the linesman. Kreamalmeyer told reporters following the match that the assistant referee informed him Alec Dufty was offside. The disallowed goal denied AC St. Louis a chance at posting an even home record for the season. The club finished with a 5-6-4 at The Anheuser-Busch Soccer Park.

“Tonight was an indicator of what this team is about in this league right now,” stated head coach Dale Schilly. “We are close. We are very close to the upper echelon of this league. We are right there, but we are not there yet.”

ABOUT AC ST. LOUIS
AC St. Louis will play its first year of professional soccer in the USSF Division 2 Pro League in 2010. The team was formally launched in November of 2009. AC St. Louis will play their home games at The Anheuser-Busch Soccer Park in suburban St. Louis. For information call 1-888-STL-GOAL.

AC St. Louis will carry quite a few injuries into Saturday night’s contest. Forward and leading scorer Mike Ambersley is nursing a sore shoulder. Brazilian Midfielder Gauchinho has missed all of practice this week with an ankle injury. Defender and team captain Jack Traynor has an injury to his quadriceps, while his defensive line partner Zach Bauer has reinjured his left foot. Even the dependable Troy Cole is recovering from a blow to the head that resulted in a cut getting stapled.

Head Coach Dale Schilly and his staff may have a few selection problems as the team goes into this last game, but they will still have a team eager to achieve a few goals. Despite starting the season slowly AC St. Louis has the opportunity to finish their first season with a winning home record. The club is currently 5-5-4 at The Anheuser-Busch Soccer Park in 2010, a very respectable record for a first year expansion team.

Under Dale Schilly and his staff of John Vanbuskirk, Blake Decker, and Tim Leonard AC St. Louis has posted a record of 5-7-7, which is quite a turnaround from their low point of 1-7-1 after nine matches to start the season. A win Saturday would mean AC St. Louis collected 25 of their 32 total points under the new coaching staff.

The club also has a chance to collect a few individual honors. Mike Ambersley and Luke Kreamalmeyer have the opportunity to finish in the top 10 in the league in points scored. Both St. Louis players have 18 points after 29 games. Ambersley has nine goals, and Kreamalmeyer has five goals and eight assists. Kreamalmeyer also is just 90 minutes away from winning the assist title for the year. Kreamalmeyer’s eight assists lead the league by one over two other players.

Goalkeeper Alec Dufty and defender Mark Bloom will look to cement their status as the “iron men” of AC St. Louis. Alec Dufty has played in every minute of every match this year, and if not for an abandoned match against Puerto Rico he would enter Saturday night’s game with a perfect 2,610 minutes played. Dufty currently has 2,602, which is the third best in the league. Mark Bloom, who has also played in every match, is sixth in the league in minutes played with 2,438.

How this final match shapes up will be largely determined by the outcome of Friday night’s Austin v. Carolina match. Should Austin beat Carolina they would clinch the top spot in the playoffs over Rochester. Should Carolina win or tie in that match Rochester would still have the opportunity to clinch the number one seed in the playoffs with a win over AC St. Louis. Austin will play their 30th and final game on Sunday against Montreal.

ABOUT AC ST. LOUIS
AC St. Louis will play its first year of professional soccer in the USSF Division 2 Pro League in 2010. The team was formally launched in November of 2009. AC St. Louis will play their home games at The Anheuser-Busch Soccer Park in suburban St. Louis. For information call 1-888-STL-GOAL.

“This, despite the result, was a really good effort from our club,” stated Head Coach Dale Schilly. “To fall behind 2-0 and be able to come back and tie the game up before halftime show’s just how much character and determination this team has. I was very happy with their effort tonight.”

Austin ran out to an early 2-0 lead on goals in the 15th and 29th minutes, but St. Louis was able to claw back into the match with a 35th minute goal by Gauchinho off a rebound. Gauchinho would then turn playmaker, as he set up winger Luke Kreamalmeyer for his fifth goal of the season in the 40th minute.

Austin commanded the second half with an early 50th minute goal, and a score in extra time. By that point St. Louis was riddled with injuries as Troy Cole, Zach Bauer, Jack Traynor, Mike Ambersley, and Brad Stisser all encountered problems.

“The injuries just made run out of juice in the second half,” said Schilly. “The pace of the first half was as fast as we have seen and played all year. We certainly made our chances and could have been up as much as 3-0 early on. Austin then scores on their first two chances. I hate losing, but I am happy with this performance. It was a hell of game.”

AC St. Louis next returns home on Saturday, October 2, against the Rochester Rhinos for their season finale, which will be Fan Appreciation Night. Tickets for the match are still available. Call 1-888-STL-GOAL or visit www.ac-stlouis.com.

ABOUT AC ST. LOUIS
AC St. Louis will play its first year of professional soccer in the USSF Division 2 Pro League in 2010. The team was formally launched in November of 2009. AC St. Louis will play their home games at The Anheuser-Busch Soccer Park in suburban St. Louis. For information call 1-888-STL-GOAL.

Unfortunately, this match no longer has playoff implications for AC St. Louis. The club was eliminated from playoff contention on Wednesday night when the fell 4-2 in Miami. Austin, however, is still competing for the number one overall seed in the USSF Division II Playoffs. The Aztex currently trail the Rochester Rhinos by one point, but Austin enjoys the advantage of having one game in hand on Rochester.

Head Coach Dale Schilly traveled 19 players for this two-game road swing. Changes to the regular starting lineup are a possibility for Saturday night now that a playoff spot is out of reach. A few individual honors are still possible for two AC St. Louis players. Mike Ambersley, currently with nine goals, has a realistic opportunity to finish as high as third in goals scored in the league. Winger Luke Kreamalmeyer also has the opportunity to finish the season as the league leader in assists. Kreamalmeyer now has eight assists following Wednesday night’s match where he set up both of Brad Stisser’s goals. Ambersley and Kreamalmeyer also have the opportunity to finish in the top ten in scoring for the league. The USSF Division II Pro League awards two points per goal and one point per assist.

Goalkeeper Alec Dufty is currently fourth in the league in minutes played, and defender Mark Bloom is tied for seventh in the league with 27 matches played.

AC St. Louis next returns home on Saturday, October 2, against the Rochester Rhinos for their season finale, which will be Fan Appreciation Night. Tickets for the match are still available. Call 1-888-STL-GOAL or visit www.ac-stlouis.com.

ABOUT AC ST. LOUIS
AC St. Louis will play its first year of professional soccer in the USSF Division 2 Pro League in 2010. The team was formally launched in November of 2009. AC St. Louis will play their home games at The Anheuser-Busch Soccer Park in suburban St. Louis. For information call 1-888-STL-GOAL.

Both teams had early chances but a foul off the ball denied Miami an opener while the goal post kept Brad Stisser and St. Louis off the board. Stisser had the best chance in the early minutes as he latched onto a ball on the left wing. Stisser’s simple right-footed shot cleanly beat the Miami keeper only to hit off the inside of the near post. The St. Louis forward would not get a kind bounce as the ball came back out in front of the net rather than deflecting in for what would have been Stisser’s fourth goal of the year.

Later in the first half Abe Thompson would slot away an easy goal following a St. Louis mistake in the back line. Two defenders came for the same ball, and with neither getting it Thompson was able to collect the ball, turn and fire his shot past Alec Dufty.

Miami would grab their second goal early in the second half as Abe Thompson once again hit the back of the net. Thompson was able to collect a third ball that he pushed pass also Alec Dufty as the St. Louis defense was unable to clear either of the first two Miami chances. Thompson would add a third minutes later to seal St. Louis’ fate. This time Thompson collected a lose ball that neither Dufty or the defense could deal with.

Brad Stisser would pull one back for AC St. Louis after Mike Ambersley slipped him a pass inside the six-yard box. Ambersley was on hand to collect a goal line clearance that he one touched to Stisser. The comeback was short-lived as Paulo LaPetit launched a shot from range to make it 4-1. Brad Stisser would add another for St. Louis to round out the scoring.

AC St. Louis next returns home on Saturday, October 2, against the Rochester Rhinos for their season finale. Tickets for the match are still available. Call 1-888-STL-GOAL or visit www.ac-stlouis.com.

ABOUT AC ST. LOUIS
AC St. Louis will play its first year of professional soccer in the USSF Division 2 Pro League in 2010. The team was formally launched in November of 2009. AC St. Louis will play their home games at The Anheuser-Busch Soccer Park in suburban St. Louis. Season tickets and group tickets for AC St. Louis are currently on sale. For information call 1-888-STL-GOAL.

AC St. Louis enters tonight’s match seven points behind the Puerto Rico Islanders for the eighth and final playoff position. St. Louis has three matches remaining, and Puerto Rico has just two. It is that scenario that sets up the must win or draw situation that AC St. Louis face tonight. The only way AC St. Louis can be eliminated from the playoffs this evening is with a loss to Miami. No other matches are being played tonight in the USSF Division 2 Pro League.

St. Louis enters this game on the heels of their most dramatic win of the season. Saturday night’s 2-1 stoppage time victory over Austin breathed new life into a club that was still feeling the effects of a 3-0 loss to Minnesota from the week before. The Minnesota loss severely damaged AC St. Louis’ playoff hopes, but the win over Austin suddenly gives the squad a second life in the playoff chase.

“After the loss to Minnesota it would have been easy for the team to pack it in,” reflected Head Coach Dale Schilly. “Saturday night against Austin was our best 90-minute performance. As low as we were last week, we are as high this week.”

Tonight is the beginning of a two-game road trip for AC St. Louis this week. The club will travel to Austin, Texas on Thursday in preparation for a Saturday night rematch with the Aztex. Austin is currently battling Rochester in the standings for the number one seed in the playoffs. Tonight’s match in Miami has no playoff implications for the Blues. Miami has been eliminated from the playoff chase, but remain just three points behind St. Louis. Miami will be looking to avenge a 3-1 loss suffered at The Anheuser-Busch Soccer Park on September 5.

Few changes are expected for Dale Schilly’s starting eleven, although 16-year sensation Luis Gil could possibly return to the starting lineup following his Saturday night heroics. Gil scored the game-winner in stoppage time against Austin just moments after the Aztex had tied the game with a stoppage time goal of their own.

Keys to the game tonight will most likely be the production of Mike Ambersley and Luke Kreamalmeyer. Between them the duo has accounted for 13 goals and six assists, which accounts for over 70% of the St. Louis goal scoring offense this year. Just an important as the scoring will be the play of the backline and particularly goalkeeper Alec Dufty, who will be looking to record his first shutout since August 6.

AC St. Louis has only lost once in their last five games, twice in their last ten, and are now 5-5-7 under Head Coach Dale Schilly and his staff of Blake Decker, John Vanbuskirk, and Tim Leonard.

Q: The playoffs are a long shot at this point, but the fact that this club is still mathematically alive with three games left has to mean a lot to you and the team.

A: It does mean a lot to the team that will still have a shot at the playoffs. I think the team has come along way since the start of the season.

Q: What was the turning point of the year on the field that made this run at the playoffs possible?

A: For me the turning point was when we had back-to-back wins against Baltimore and Portland in late July. Those wins put us back in contention and gave the team confidence.

Q: From a 1-7-1 start to where you are now is a huge turn around. Did you think it was possible?

A: I think the turn around of the team has been great. The team has continued to improve as the season has gone on, and I think the coaching staff has played a big role in that.

Q: What was the highlight of the year for you?

A: The highlight for me is still to come, and that would be if we could somehow make the playoffs. It’s a long shot at this point but it’s still possible.

Q: You set up the game-winner on Saturday night for Luis Gil. What does a goal like that mean to a player so young?

A: I think for any young player scoring your first professional goal is a great feeling. It is something Luis will always remember, and I’m sure there will be many more goals to come from Luis in his career.

Q: AC St. Louis has become a tough team to beat, how close is this squad to becoming a winning franchise?

A: I think the team has learned to compete in this league here in the second half of the season. We are still learning to put a complete game together, but I think we are very close. I thought we played a great game against Austin on Saturday, and we beat a great team.

Q: What was playing at home for the first time as a professional like?

A: It’s been great being home this season. It meant a lot to me to be apart of the club since the start and hopefully for many more years.

Q: How was it to play for a coach that you have known since you were a young teenager?

A: It’s been great to play for Dale since he took over. It made it an easy transition for me. I think Dale and his coaching staff have helped turn our season around.

Q: What do you expect this team to be able to do next year?

A: I think next season if we can bring in a few experienced pros that will help us to be a winning franchise. We have been close this season with a very young team (14 rookies I think) . I think next year our goal should be to make the playoffs, and from there anything can happen.