St Louis City won the US Open Cup for the first time in club history, defeating the Columbus Crew 5-4 on penalties after a goalless 120 minutes. The victory ended St Louis's 38-year wait for a major US soccer title and secured a place in the 2027 Concacaf Champions Cup.
Daniel Edelman scored the decisive penalty, while backup goalkeeper Ben Lundt made a save on Columbus's first attempt. Lundt had entered the match in the second half after starting goalkeeper Roman Bürki was injured.
A Historic Return to Prominence
St Louis clubs have now won 11 US Open Cups all-time, with six different teams combining for 10 trophy lifts before Wednesday's final. The most recent prior victory came in 1988, when St Louis Busch Seniors beat San Francisco-based Greek-American AC. MLS has won every Open Cup but one since starting play in 1996, and St Louis did not have an MLS club until 2023.
Wednesday marked the 109th Open Cup final. The first was held in 1913–14, and the competition has run continuously except for a two-year hiatus during the Covid-19 pandemic.
A Tight, Physical Final
St Louis won the tournament under Yoann Damet, the 36-year-old Frenchman who was previously Wilfried Nancy's top assistant in Columbus but was passed over for the top job after Nancy left. Damet is MLS's youngest manager.
In the opening half-hour, St Louis held 60% possession but failed to register a single shot. Columbus was more incisive, working to create chances for Brais Méndez, but failed to threaten Bürki's net. Referee Guido Gonzales Jr blew the half-time whistle after the 45th minute with no stoppage time needed.
After the break, Columbus continued to dominate, taking 11 touches in St Louis's box before the visitors managed one. Bürki kept their sole on-target effort out. In the 69th minute, a potential penalty on Santi Rodríguez was cleared after a VAR review, but the six-minute examination led to Bürki exiting on a stretcher with a head injury. The CBS Sports broadcast later relayed that Bürki was "OK" shortly after his departure, though he was taken to the hospital for evaluation. Lundt, who had previously won a shootout for St Louis against Houston in the quarter-final, came on.
Penalties Decide the Title
Despite Columbus outshooting St Louis 16-3, both teams finished 90 minutes goalless. In extra time, neither side conceded, and the match went to penalties. After Timo Baumgartl converted, Lundt saved Santi Rodríguez's attempt. Both teams converted their next three attempts, with Lundt nearly stopping Andrés Herrera's effort in the fourth round. Edelman then scored the winning penalty.
St Louis entered the final without striker Rafael Navarro, who was cap-tied to the Colorado Rapids through the quarter-final stage. Columbus, meanwhile, had undergone a reset after Nancy's departure at the end of 2025, hiring Henrik Rydström, who was dismissed in May after 17 matches. His replacement, Laurent Courtois, was another Nancy disciple. Damet is now a frontrunner for coach of the year, in line for a top-three finish in the Western Conference, and the Open Cup champion.
