St. Louis CITY SC battled to a 1–1 draw with Charlotte FC in their 2026 season opener Saturday at Energizer Park. Photo by Lawrence Bryant | St. Louis American

The temperature was 40 degrees on Saturday afternoon at Engerizer Park, and 23,000 fans were treated to an inspiring performance by their home team, which dominated much of the match. Still, the game ended in a 1-1 draw against Charlotte FC. St. Louis controlled much of the match by finishing with a 22-9 advantage in shots and an 11-3 edge in shots on goal, but Major League Soccer goalie of the year Kristijan Kahlina made 10 spectacular saves to keep Charlotte in the game.

The two clubs played to a scoreless first half, though Charlotte forward Liel Abada took a pass from teammate Idan Toklomati before firing a strike that was saved by St. Louis goalkeeper Roman Bürki. Midfielder Chris Durkin fired a strike but was denied by Kristijan Kahlina right before halftime. City SC’s Marcel Hartel broke the scoreless game in the 60th minute to give his team a 1-0 lead. But the lead was short-lived, 13 minutes later, when Pep Biel equalized from an assist from Wilfried Zaha to make it 1-1.

St. Louis had several chances for a late winner by generating several chances during stoppage time. But once again, Kristijan Kahlina preserved the draw with spectacular saves from close range.

City SC finished with a 6-1 edge in corner kicks but settled for a point. It’s the 3rd straight year that St. Louis has opened the season with a draw and remains unbeaten in its four MLS season-opening matches. The next match comes on the road against San Diego FC on March 1.