Midway through the 2016 season, things were looking bright for Saint Louis FC. The side was solidly in playoff contention in the Western Conference, had picked up some impressive wins both at home and on the road, while new signing Irvin Herrera was firing along nicely to lead the team’s attack.

When the calendar turned to July, so did the team’s fortunes. A run of only two wins in the club’s final 15 games of the season saw the season slide away from the side, and brought the end of the tenure of Coach Dale Schilly. With Preki ready to get to work this offseason, Saint Louis now has a vision of a first playoff berth in club history ahead of it for 2017.