ST. LOUIS, MO (August 6, 2010) – AC St. Louis, playing in the USSF Division 2 Pro League, will meet the first-place Vancouver Whitecaps tonight for a 7:10 kick-off at The Anheuser-Busch Soccer Park. The match will be the fourth and final meeting this season between these two clubs. The game can be seen live at www.ac-stlouis.com via live web streaming.

AC St. Louis host Vancouver for the third game in a season long five game home stand. St. Louis is 1-0-1 in the first two games of this home stretch with a win over Portland and a tie against Minnesota. Tonight AC St. Louis will be looking for their first win of the year over the Whitecaps. The last two meetings have resulted in draws, 1-1 and 0-0. Vancouver won the first match this year in British Columbia, 1-0, back in April.

Under new head coach Dale Schilly St. Louis is sporting a record of 3-3-4, which includes the two draws against Vancouver. In fact, Schilly’s first point earned as a head coach came in his very first match with a 0-0 draw against the Whitecaps. The thirteen points AC St. Louis has earned under Schilly have brought them back into the playoff hunt, but a first win against Vancouver would bring them right to the doorstep of a playoff spot.

“Vancouver is a good team. They are very well organized, and have good individual players. Their staff does a good job with the team,” stated Dale Schilly. “We have gotten points off of them in the last two games. I think we have a decent chance.”

Finishing chances will be critical in what figures to be a very tight match. The good news is AC St. Louis seems to have found their scoring touch over the past two games. Veterans Mike Ambersley and Luke Kreamalmeyer have combined for a hat rick and a two-goal game respectively.

“The good thing for us is how these two players have turned the corner and are now scoring goals,” said Schilly. “That really bodes well for the rest of the team.”

The defensive key to the game will be how AC St. Louis deals with the final 10 minutes. Minnesota’s late rally in the last home game emphasized the club’s need to be able to close out games. The backline will be without defender Chris Schuler whose four game loan spell is over. Schuler, and as well as teammate Collen Warner, returned to Real Salt Lake on Monday morning. However, St. Louis earned draws against the league-leading Whitecaps without those two players, and with a less than healthy side. Tonight expectations are high.

“They are one of the best team’s in the league,” said team captain Jack Traynor. “But I think we have proven in our last few games that we can play with any team in the league. We are making that push for the playoffs, it is a big game for us, and we are definitely going to do well against Vancouver and hopefully get that win.”

Vancouver is also perhaps the most aggressive team in the league. Their 281 fouls caused ranks first among the 12 teams, as does their 115 corners earned. There is no mystery to why the Whitecaps have lost only three times.

AC St. Louis will enter tonight’s game with coming off their best stretch of league play. The club is 2-2-1 over their last five games. The seven points earned in that stretch is the most in any five game span this year. Vancouver is also 2-2-1 over their last five games.

Tonight AC will host a pre-game Christian Rock Band by Chris Habermehl Band. Check them out:
http://bit.ly/ACSTL-ChrisHabermehl

Tickets for tonight’s match are still available. Get your Family Four Pack for only $49! VIP for only $30. Call 1-888-STL-GOAL!

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.