KC-St. Louis rivalry? Comets kick off new season with doubleheader series vs. Ambush

The Kansas City Royals and St. Louis Cardinals haven’t played each other in a high-stakes game for years. The NFL’s Rams leaving St. Louis for Los Angeles ruined a decent rivalry for bragging rights.

There’s hope for 2023, when St. Louis joins Major League Soccer with an expansion franchise. We could eventually see some nice geographic-rivalry games between Sporting KC and this new club.

But one pro-sports rivalry between KC and The Lou has endured. We’re speaking, of course, of the one between the Kansas City Comets and St. Louis Ambush of the Major Arena Soccer League.

“We can all agree that Kansas City has the best talent in Missouri and in Kansas,” Comets goalkeeper Nicolau Neto said recently.

Neto may have asserted this with a bit of a smirk, but these two teams have finished alongside one another in the regular-season standings for the past four seasons. Kansas City’s been a step higher in the pecking order each time.

The Comets also dumped the Ambush out of the quarterfinal round of the MASL playoffs last season.

“We know it’s a completely different game compared to playing Baltimore or anybody else,” Comets player/coach Leo Gibson said.

The next installment of the rivalry that endures between Missouri’s two largest cities will be written this weekend, when the Comets and Ambush kick off their respective 2021-22 campaigns. The Comets travel to play the Ambush in St. Louis on Friday, then return home to take on the Ambush again at Cable Dahmer Arena in Independence on Saturday.

The twin season openers are the first two of six scheduled games between the clubs this season.

“We always expect that they’re going to bring it, and that helps us be ready and stay sharp and focused,” Gibson said.

The Ambush went 8-7 last season, earning their first winning record since they joined the MASL in 2013. Meanwhile, the Comets were one goal away from playing in last season’s championship game, falling 2-1 to Orlando in a mini-game semifinal.

Their dueling Thanksgiving weekend fixtures should answer some questions about the Comets’ trajectory this season, not to mention the Ambush’s, but it’s safe to say they got some indications from the recently contested Central Cup.

The preseason tournament played last weekend featured the Comets and Ambush, as well as the Wichita Wings and Omaha Kings FC of MASL2. The Comets defeated the Wings 14-2 and Omaha 9-2, while the Ambush topped the Wings 8-6 and Omaha 9-2.

Friday’s KC-St. Louis season opener kicks off at 5:05 p.m., and the Comets’ Saturday home opener against the Ambush starts at 6:05.

“When we get on that blue turf, it means business,” Neto said. “We try to win every time and we know the importance of this for our team and our city, as well.

“We try to keep the Kansas City name up there and continue to beat St. Louis.”