St. Louis CITY SC enter Wednesday night’s 2026 U.S. Open Cup final against the Columbus Crew carrying the statistical weight of a favorite, backed by a record-setting 21-match unbeaten streak across all competitions.
The clash, scheduled for 8 p.m. ET and broadcast on Paramount+ and CBS Sports Network, pits a St. Louis expansion-era side on the cusp of its first trophy against a storied Columbus franchise hunting its tenth major title. St. Louis arrives in second place in the Western Conference with 51 points, sitting within striking distance of the first-place Vancouver Whitecaps FC. Yet first-year manager Yoann Damet’s squad enters the final nursing a fresh wound after a 3-2 loss to Minnesota United FC over the weekend snapped their historic unbeaten run.
St. Louis Seeks First Silverware Amid Roster Pressures
CITY’s surge to the final has relied heavily on summer acquisitions like Designated Player Carlo Holse, who has notched six goals and two assists in roughly 600 minutes. However, club-record signing Rafael Navarro, contributor of eight goals and four assists, remains unavailable for the championship fixture. Despite the weekend stumble in Minnesota—where a two-goal lead evaporated at Allianz Field—captain and veteran goalkeeper Roman Bürki viewed the setback as timely recalibration.
One win away from American soccer history 🏆The @ColumbusCrew and @stlCITYsc will meet in the 2026 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final on Oct. 21. pic.twitter.com/wSdgfcnGk3
“I think it’s good timing. It brought us back to reality and showed us that we’re only a good team if we have the hunger, the intensity and everybody is at 100%,” Bürki said.
Damet, a candidate for the MLS Sigi Schmid Coach of the Year award, acknowledged the psychological weight the tournament carried for a young franchise. “At the end of the day, I believe that the cup gave us something else to chew on and to get a different feeling… it helps you grow as a team,” Damet stated. “Was the cup important in our journey? Most definitely.”
Columbus Climbs Into Familiar Championship Terrain
While St. Louis builds its foundation, the three-time MLS Cup champions and 2002 U.S. Open Cup winners are timing their own surge to perfection. The Crew have captured four of their last five league matches to press toward the Eastern Conference Wild Card spots, fresh off a 2-0 rivalry victory over FC Cincinnati.
Our history. Our moment. #AllForCITY x @opencup pic.twitter.com/Tfq8KofiUu
Interim manager Laurent Courtois looks to add to a trophy cabinet that already boasts three MLS Cups, three Supporters’ Shields, the 2024 Leagues Cup, and the 2021 Campeones Cup. Midfielder Malte Amundsen, who won an MLS Cup with New York City FC and the Crew, emphasized the purity of the occasion for the squad.
“The fact that we’re able to be here, to play a final – this is what we all dreamed of when we were kids. … We’re here. Maybe we don’t get this opportunity again; maybe we will, we don’t know. So let’s enjoy this game for what it is, with the fans, the crowd,” Amundsen noted.
Experience Meets Uncharted Ambition on the Pitch
Few players on the field understand the stakes of a domestic final better than Columbus striker Josef Martínez. A U.S. Open Cup champion with Atlanta United in 2019, the league’s sixth all-time leading scorer is preparing for his sixth final as an MLS player. Martínez has won all but one of his previous five finals.
Feeling the whole city behind the Black & Gold ✨Recently, supporters sent messages to the squad wishing them luck in the Open Cup Final 💬 pic.twitter.com/yQ8v6vKBf8
Yet the veteran forward insists regular-season hierarchy evaporates once the whistle blows in Ohio. “When you’re on the pitch, you only think about winning. No matter what,” Martínez explained. “No matter if they’re a better team or a worse team or they have better players on the field, we are 11 guys. So the most important thing is to fight till the end, because you never know.”
For Damet and his St. Louis side, the contrast in institutional history remains stark. “Right now, the history of the club is nothing. So we need to keep striving to fill that trophy cabinet with something,” Damet observed. “And having that opportunity to be the first is an amazing opportunity that we’ve earned throughout our journey in the competition this year.”
More on Open Cup
🏆 The stage is set! Tomorrow, St. Louis City SC and Columbus Crew face off in the final of the U.S. Open Cup! https://t.co/SZ77FZHSLj
See you in Columbus! 🛫 pic.twitter.com/KeQHxx9QOa
Safe travels to everyone joining us in Columbus! We'll see you soon 👋 pic.twitter.com/oqh2zhvHnp
