da pixbet： The young forward has already made his MLS debut, but more big moments are surely on the way
da bet nacional： St. Louis is a soccer city but, for decades, it was one without a top-flight soccer team. That all changed with the arrival of St. Louis SC. The club's historic run in its expansion season sent shockwaves through MLS, but it confirmed what many already knew: St. Louis soccer is legit.
Even before MLS came to town, the city produced U.S. men's national team stars Josh Sargent and Tim Ream. And now, there's a rising homegrown star making his way that hopes to follow in their footesteps.
Meet Caden Glover, the club's first homegrown signing. Last season, Glover became the first player born in 2007 to make his MLS debut, and it feels like that's only the beginning for the young attacker.
St. Louis soccer's legacy is already built, and Glover is the young star looking to add to it now that the city's MLS team is building towards more.
What he's done
Glover's MLS debut against the Chicago Fire last May was a big deal, in more ways than one.
It was, of course, huge for St. Louis. Just a few short months into the club's expansion city, St. Louis' first homegrown star was already on the field. It was a sign of the club's commitment to not just Glover, but local youth. For years, St. Louis has been a hotbed of talent, which made Glover feel like the first of many ready to break through.
The debut was also obviously massive for Glover. He was the first 2007-born player to feature in an MLS game, a sign of how good he is at a young age. It was a sign of the club's faith in him, too. St. Louis City clearly believed he was ready to handle it and all the pressure that would come with being the first of his kind.
Internationally, Glover has featured for the U.S. up to the U-17 level as he continues to rise up the ranks with the national team program.
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For years, the USMNT was on the hunt for a No. 9 that was able to contribute and, heading toward the 2026 World Cup, it appears that the program has a few. Glover, though, is part of a next generation that is rising. Could he be the striker of the future?
It's too soon to tell, of course, but you can see the vision with Glover. He certainly has a nose for goal, as evidenced by his contributions at both the MLS Next Pro and youth international levels. That's always a good starting point for any striker.
Glover has some refining to do, but St. Louis head coach Bradley Carnell has seen strides.
“With Caden, we’ve seen the types of goals he can score—really technical, high-caliber goals,” Carnell said last August. “He’s really in his groove when he’s with CITY2, or even when he went down to the younger age group just to play playoffs or games on the line with his age group, and he blends in well. Then you bring him up to us and he has to get used to the pace, the tempo, and the physical side of it. I’ve seen a big leap in the last couple of months. He’s getting there.”
GettyWho he reminds us of
It does feel like a bit of a copout to compare Glover to Sargent, but we're going to do it anyway.
Sargent is a St. Louis success story.
Born in nearby O'Fallon, Sargent rose to national prominence during his time at St. Louis Scott Gallagher before inevitably making his move to Europe. At the time of his move, Sargent was seen as a smart, savvy striker with a nose for goal, not necessarily one blessed by incredible physical gifts.
Glover is similar. His best attribute is his nose for goal, not necessarily breakneck speed. Glover is tall, though, which will only help when he makes the leap to the next level. In terms of frame and physicality, he's a bit similar to USMNT striker Ricardo Pepi, who thrived in MLS before heading to Europe himself.
Could Glover follow a similar trajectory? Certainly, but he has plenty of learning to do in St. Louis first.
What comes next
More MLS minutes will obviously be the goal but, for now, Glover can keep chugging along in MLS Next Pro.
He scored his first goal of the season this past weekend in a 21-minute cameo. Last season, he scored seven goals in 1,371 minutes, a respectable haul given his youth. If he can build on that number, MLS minutes will come, but Glover has a bit more work to do at the MLS Next Pro level before that comes.
Glover already has an MLS debut under his belt, though, which is a huge sign of faith. The club sees something in him, for sure. Glover seems to be on his way as he looks to be St. Louis City SC's first big contribution to the city's soccer production line.