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Nearly a year after Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber came to St Louis to award this soccer-rich city the expansion team it had pursued in stops and starts for decades, fans of MLS team No. 28 now know who they are waiting to cheer in 2023.

Their team is St. Louis City SC.

Their colors are City Red, River Blue, Arch Steel Grey and Energy Yellow.

The team's crest (pictured above) includes a clear nod to the Gateway Arch.

Perhaps you are sensing a theme.

“St. Louis City SC is a reflection of the STLMade movement that is at the heart of everything we do, and truly represents our region’s diverse and optimistic spirit,� said Carolyn Kindle Betz, CEO of St. Louis City SC. “Our desire from day one has been to be bigger than soccer and to become part of the fabric of St. Louis and a symbol of our future. This is a significant step forward for our club — and our region."

The name St. Louis City SC — the "SC" stands for soccer club — was selected from more than 6,000 fan submissions. It quickly moved to the top of the list, and it stayed there. It would have been announced sooner if the COVID-19 pandemic did not scramble the schedule of the MLS4TheLou ownership group and the league itself, a shakeup that included the delay of the St. Louis team's launch in its in-progress downtown stadium from 2022 to 2023.

"It's been like a champagne bottle that has been shaken, and you're not allowed to take the cork off," chief brand architect Lee Broughton said.

"Surreal in an exciting way," Kindle Betz added. "To have to sit on it for as long as we have, when you can finally say it and celebrate it with people, it's truly a great feeling."

Kindle Betz and Broughton, two of the scheduled speakers at Thursday's virtual reveal, spoke with the Post-Dispatch by phone during the final preparations for the live-streamed announcement.

"You started to see a couple themes," Kindle Betz said about the selection of the team name. " 'City' was definitely a popular word that kept coming up. Once we started building the story behind it, we realized it's a great way to recognize all of the things that are St. Louis. You've got the diverse cultures. The iconic neighborhoods. But also the proud heritage of being America's first soccer capital. Once we started really developing the story, it started writing itself, and we knew City was the name of the team, and we were going to use it to expand how we define this region."

"It became clear for us, too," added Broughton, "that it was pointing toward a future where we are all united as a city by aspirations, growth and cultural renaissance. All have that unique way of trying to be something bigger than a game on a particular Saturday. That felt important."

More than 20 local designers helped created the crest using information found in focus groups and discussions with community members that reflected a sense of pride in the St. Louis City flag and the Arch.

"The iconic geographical landmarks are going to play a role," Broughton said. "Great debates. Passionate discussions. And here we are. We really hope the vision reflects a strong desire for a modern interpretation of our city, while paying homage to the icons that are recognized nationally and internationally as standing for St. Louis."

Kindle Betz said the team colors are a nod to the city's flag, but tweaked a bit to be unique to the team.

"I pushed for a little more on the pink side," she joked. "The yellow, energy yellow, will be a great accent highlight color to really set off the blue, the red and the grey."

The pandemic forced what was supposed to be an in-person party and announcement into a virtual reveal at Harris-Stowe State University in front of an online audience and 750 cardboard cutouts of fans and St. Louis sports stars like Taylor Twellman, Bradley Beal and Jackie Joyner-Kersee. Cardinals broadcaster Dan McLaughlin, an outspoken supporter of the ownership group's quest for a team, is the host. Harris-Stowe president Dr. Corey Bradford is also scheduled to speak. A caravan of cars were dispatched throughout the St. Louis area around the time of the announcement to distribute merchandise from a safe social distance. The team's website has debuted a new name (STLCitySC.com) and new team-branded merchandise.

"People were ready to hear some good news," Kindle Betz said. "They are ready to be able to celebrate."