The first goal for the Clayton Greyhounds had special meaning.
During the season opener against St. Dominic, senior midfielder Max Vuong sent a through-ball that his brother Nico ran onto and deposited into the goal.
“It felt good,” said Nico Vuong, a sophomore.
Max added, “It was a nice celebration. You could tell he was happy.”
Two years ago, Max accepted an offer to train with St. Louis City Academy, the Major League Soccer development program that provides a possible linear path to an MLS career. STL City Academy does not permit a player to participate in high school or club soccer, and the Vuong brothers knew that combining to score a high school goal would probably never happen.
But last season, Max suffered a broken ankle. It prevented him from training or playing for STL City Academy and during the recovery process, he made the decision to step away.
‘The times that I had to prove myself at tryouts, I didn’t get my opportunity,” Max said. “I could have tried later in the summer, but I never got to play with my brother in my life, so I thought it would be a fun opportunity my senior year.”
Max Vuong has taken Clayton (5-1) to a new level this season, leading the St. Louis metro area with 10 goals and earning a spot in the inaugural STL Best XI – a weekly recognition of the top players by area soccer coaches.
For Nico Vuong, who has four goals and four assists through the first six games, the addition of Max as a center-midfielder has created new opportunities for him.
“It’s great having him in the middle of everything. There are different runs I didn’t know I could make because there weren’t people who could play that ball in,” Nico said. “He can play it in, over or around, so I can make whatever run and know that he can get that ball to me.”
In addition to his stellar play, Max has been willing to impart the lessons he learned at STL City Academy to his Clayton teammates.
“He almost becomes another coach on the field,” Clayton coach Brendan Taylor said. “He’s really good at helping guys find where to place themselves to take better advantage of plays. His soccer wisdom is definitely an asset to the whole program.”
Part of that “coach on the field” mentality is his ability to identify tactical parts of the game that the Greyhounds can improve upon.
“Some of the big things about playing with (STL City Academy) is that the pressing is really fast. I think we can improve our press a little bit and we can move the ball quicker. If we get those two things to be more consistent, I think we’ll be so dangerous moving forward,” Max said.
Max played for Clayton as a freshman, helping the Greyhounds reach the Class 3 state quarterfinals before a 5-1 loss to Cape Notre Dame. He returns for his senior season looking to lead Clayton to its first semifinal berth in boys soccer since placing third in Class 2 in 2010.
“I just want my redemption. I don’t care how it’s done, we just have to get it done,” Max said.
The return to high school soccer after playing with professional-caliber talent has been different, but not frustrating for Max.
“The level is obviously higher in (MLS-Next), but high school is still good, because no matter where people are in skill level, you know they’re going to work hard, and it’s a little more physical and aggressive,” Max said. “No frustration for me. I just love playing, and it’s fun being able to play with a lot of my friends that I didn’t get to play with.”
One of those friends is senior defender Sawyer Roesch, who appreciates the two-way game that Max plays.
“It’s very nice having him on the field. He creates a lot of playmaking opportunities and helps back with the defense, which I appreciate,” Roesch said.
Junior forward Adam Turner appreciates how Max has blended in perfectly with the culture of the team.
“We have a certain camaraderie, and he just adds to it. He makes us so much better,” Taylor said.
But the friend Max has most enjoyed playing beside is his brother Nico, who he used to drive to Clayton’s Gay Field when Nico was in eighth grade.
“I told him if you score on me in a certain amount of attempts, I’ll give you a ride home. If not, you’ve got to walk,” Max recalled with a laugh. “Our competitiveness against each other helped us get a lot better.”
And Nico has thoroughly enjoyed the chance to play high school soccer with his older brother – a chance he did not think he would ever have.
“It’s great having him on the team,” Nico said. 
STL Best XI – 8/26-9/6
Forwards
Sean Kaveney, sophomore, Priory
Scored five goals, including three game-winners against Westminster, Fort Zumwalt West and Holt in helping the Ravens start the season with a 4-2 record.
Nathan Massey, senior, Fort Zumwalt East
Scored at least one goal in the first five matches of the season, including the game-winner against Webster Groves. Massey has recorded six goals and two assists in helping the Lions achieve a 4-1 record to start the season.
Brendan Crews, senior, Webster Groves
Scored eight goals through the first six games, including game-winners against Cape Notre Dame and Parkway South in helping the defending Class 3 champion Statesmen achieve a 3-3 record.
Midfielders
Gage Clark, sophomore, Pacific
Scored five goals in a win against Festus and the game-winner against Washington, helping the Indians win the Festus Tournament. Clark has eight goals and two assists in propelling Pacific to a 5-2 record to begin the season.
Max Vuong, senior, Clayton
Scored an area-high 10 goals and added three assists in leading Clayton to a 5-1 record to begin the season. He notched game-winning goals against Lutheran South, Parkway North and Pattonville.
Sam Magueja, senior, Lutheran St. Charles
Scored five goals, including a hat trick in the season opener against defending Class 2 state runner-up Orchard Farm, Magueja was awarded Class 2 player-of-the-year in 2021 in leading the Cougars to the state title.
Arul Osburn, senior, Kirkwood
A dynamic playmaker in multiple positions, Osburn was instrumental in three of the four goals scored by the Pioneers in a 4-3 victory over Francis Howell. He has one goal and three assists in helping Kirkwood begin the season with a 4-1 record.
Defense
Zoran Sabbert, senior, Summit
The Falcons’ centerback scored two goals in a 4-2 victory over Vianney. Sabbert has helped Summit begin the season with a 3-1 record, with shutouts against Ladue and De Smet.
Brian Wright, senior, Parkway West
An excellent defensive stopper, Wright delivered a hat trick against St. Charles West and scored another against Fort Zumwalt East. He has helped the Longhorns achieve a 4-3 record with three shutouts to begin the season.
Reed Corrigan, senior, Timberland
The commander of the defense, Corrigan helped the Wolves begin the season with consecutive shutouts. He also scored the game-winning goal in a 1-0 victory over Mehlville in the season opener.
Goalkeeper
Owen Wolf, sophomore, St. Dominic
Wolf posted shutouts against Priory and John Burroughs in helping the Crusaders win the Metro League Tournament title, the first time St. Dominic played in that event. He has recorded 27 saves and three shutouts in six contests.