It’s a moment in history, a foray into the unknown, an anticipated event for fans of a team that hasn’t actually yet been a team.

Such was the case Saturday for St. Louis City SC — which played just the latest first game in local pro sports history.

Every St. Louis team has had an inaugural game — from the red and blue mainstays currently housed on Clark Avenue to the now-defunct franchises, some forever remembered, others forgotten until, well, a few paragraphs from now.

The Blues’ first game was actually during one of the 11 World Series won by the Cardinals. The Blues debuted on Oct. 11, 1967, the day the Cards lost Game 6 of the fall classic to Boston (but Bob Gibson and “El Birdos” won the next day, defeating Jim Lonborg to drink champagne).

In the first National Hockey League game at The St. Louis Arena, the Blues didn’t sell out — only 11,319 fans were there for the Blues against the Minnesota North Stars, a fellow expansion team (capacity in 1967-68 was 14,200). The legendary Bob Plager recorded the first Blues penalty just 66 seconds into the game (a hooking minor), while later assisting the first Blues goal, scored by Larry Keenan.

St. Louis trailed 2-1 late. But a fellow named Wayne Rivers — who was just 5-foot-7 and scored four goals ever for the Blues — tied the game with just 1:26 left.

“He was the shortest player on either team. But today the Minnesotans hold new respect for St. Louis’ bantam basher,” wrote Wally Cross in the Post-Dispatch. “With the Blues hanging on the ropes, the little man rocketed down the right boards, took a perfect pass from Gerry Melynk, and drilled a blistering slap shot into the upper left corner of the Minnesota net.”

And so, the Blues didn’t win nor lose their first game.

As for the Cardinals’ first game, well, they had two.

In 1882, as the American Association’s St. Louis Brown Stockings, they eclipsed the Louisville Eclipse, 9-7, on May 2.

In 1892, as the National League’s St. Louis Browns, they lost on April 12 to the Chicago Colts by a football score of 14-10.

The Browns changed their name to the Cardinals in 1900 and 60 years later, another team became the St. Louis Cardinals. That was the pro football franchise that moved from Chicago. And on Sept. 23, 1960, the football Cardinals won their first game against, sure enough, the Los Angeles Rams. Former Heisman winner John David Crow caught and scored the St. Louis Cardinals’ first touchdown and caught a second in the 43-21 win in L.A.

That Rams franchise, of course, moved to St. Louis in 1995. A lot of locals recall the first home game — Keith Lyle running the fourth-quarter fake punt for a first down — but the St. Louis Rams’ first game was at Lambeau Field. The ’95 Packers would go on to finish 11-5, but their first of five losses was courtesy of the Rams on Sept. 3, 1995.

After the Rams returned to L.A. in 2016, St. Louis welcomed the XFL Battlehawks, who won their first game on Feb. 8, 2020, at Dallas. Sure enough, the second version of the Battlehawks won their first game on Feb. 19 of this year at San Antonio. St. Louis’ winning touchdown, with just 16 seconds left, was caught by Austin Proehl, the son of former St. Louis Rams receiver Ricky Proehl.

On Nov. 5, 1955, a Kiel Auditorium crowd of 7,452 watched the NBA’s St. Louis Hawks win their first game against the Minneapolis Lakers, 101-89. As he would for, like, every game, Bob Pettit led the Hawks in scoring (21). The first game by St. Louis’ ABA team, the Spirits, was Oct. 18, 1974, in a game against the Memphis Sounds at The Arena. Memphis won, albeit not soundly, by a score of 97-92. St. Louis’ Marvin “Bad News” Barnes finished with 21 points.

Four professional St. Louis soccer teams debuted in the 1970s, ’80s and ’90s — all four lost their first game.

The outdoor St. Louis Stars lost at Chicago, 2-1, on April 16, 1967. The indoor St. Louis Steamers lost at the Cleveland Force, 5-4, on Dec. 1, 1979 (trivia answer — the first St. Louis indoor goal was scored by Carl Rose). The indoor Storm’s first game was in St. Louis — and St. Louis native Kevin Hundelt scored the game-winner for the visitors from Kansas City. The Storm lost, 3-2, but had 14,975 on hand at the Arena. And the first incarnation of the Ambush lost its first game, 13-10, at Dayton on Nov. 6, 1992.

About eight months later, another team made its debut — the St. Louis Vipers of the league called Roller Hockey International. In front of 7,908 curious fans at The Arena, the Vipers defeated the oddly named Toronto Planets, 12-9.

Asked about the game, St. Louis coach Bernie Federko, who previously starred at the other kind of hockey, told reporters: “I liked it when it was 8-1. I didn’t like it when it got close. …

“(But) we only play 14 games, so everyone is important. … When we get into the playoffs, the home ice, or home field, will be very important.”