Anheuser-Busch Enters Letter Of Intent To Transfer Ownership Of Soccer Park To St. Louis Soccer United

Site to Continue Supporting Youth and Amateur Soccer; Will Also Be Explored for Major League Soccer Stadium Use

ST. LOUIS (March 11, 2009) - St. Louis Soccer United (SLSU) today announced that Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc. has entered into a letter of intent to transfer ownership of the Anheuser-Busch Center - commonly referred to as "Soccer Park" - to SLSU, the local group working to bring a Major League Soccer expansion franchise to the St. Louis area.

SLSU will work with public officials to explore the feasibility of building an MLS quality, soccer-specific stadium at the site located just west of Interstate 270 at Interstate 44. Anheuser-Busch intends to transfer the Soccer Park location to SLSU even if the site proves to be unworkable for an MLS stadium, with the goal of ensuring it continues to serve the amateur soccer community in St. Louis as it has since the facility opened in 1982.

"St. Louis is home to one of the strongest soccer communities in the country," said Dan McHugh, vice president of Media, Sponsorship and Activation, Anheuser-Busch Inc. "The transfer of A-B Soccer Park to SLSU is a community win-win. It supports civic efforts to bring Major League Soccer to St. Louis and preserves a community home for organized youth and amateur soccer." "A-B's generosity has given SLSU an outstanding opportunity to improve St. Louis' candidacy for an MLS expansion franchise," said Jeff Cooper, chairman, St. Louis Soccer United. "The Soccer Park is a well-known site that will appeal to players, fans and investor candidates alike."

SLSU represents the St. Louis market's candidacy to attract an MLS expansion franchise to the area by 2011 or 2012. SLSU also partners with the nation's largest youth soccer club following the merger last year between Scott Gallagher, St. Louis Soccer Club and Metro United. The newly merged club was recently named the top club in the nation for its superior youth development program by ClubRankâ„¢, a formula from Top Drawer Soccer (www.topdrawersoccer.com) based on points awarded for full and youth national team call-ups, college players, and domestic and overseas professional rosters for 2008.

SLSU also owns the St. Louis Athletica team that will begin play with a home match on April 4 in the new Women's Professional Soccer league. St. Louis Athletica will play the bulk of its matches in the team's inaugural season at Bob Guelker Field on the campus of Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville. Currently, SLSU also has agreement with the City of Collinsville, Ill., to build a soccer stadium and surrounding youth complex at Interstates 255 and 55-70, pending the awarding of an MLS expansion franchise. SLSU will continue to work with Collinsville officials while feasibility of the Soccer Park site is explored in the weeks to come.

"This is the best situation we could have hoped for," said Cooper. "We have two potential locations for an MLS stadium and youth soccer complex that demonstrates the region's strong commitment to bring Major League Soccer to the undisputed soccer capital of North America." Based in St. Louis, Anheuser Busch is the leading American brewer, holding a 49.2 percent share of U.S. beer sales. The company brews the world's largest-selling beers, Budweiser and Bud Light. Anheuser Busch also owns a 50 percent share in Grupo Modelo, Mexico's leading brewer. Anheuser-Busch ranked No. 1 among beverage companies in FORTUNE Magazine's Most Admired Global Companies list in 2009. Anheuser Busch is one of the largest theme park operators in the United States, is a major manufacturer of aluminum cans and one of the world's largest recyclers of aluminum cans. The company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch InBev, the leading global brewer, and continues to operate under the Anheuser-Busch name and logo. For more information, visit www.anheuser-busch.com.