St. Louis City wins first U.S. Open Cup after Ben Lundt save against Columbus Crew
St. Louis City beat Columbus Crew 5-4 on penalties after a scoreless final, earning the club's first major trophy and a place in the 2027 Concacaf Champions Cup.
St. Louis City won its first major trophy in Columbus, Ohio, on Wednesday, October 21, beating the Columbus Crew 5-4 on penalties after a 0-0 U.S. Open Cup final. Backup goalkeeper Ben Lundt saved a shootout attempt before Daniel Edelman converted the decisive kick, securing St. Louis a place in the 2027 Concacaf Champions Cup.
The victory settled a final that remained scoreless through 90 minutes and extra time. It also turned the clubs' scheduled meeting, covered in NewsJaws' preview of the final, into the first trophy win for St. Louis City's MLS team, which began play in 2023.
How Ben Lundt and Daniel Edelman decided the shootout
Lundt entered in the 78th minute after starting goalkeeper Roman Bürki suffered a blow to the head while making a save, the Associated Press reported. Bürki was taken off on a cart and waved to the crowd. The Guardian reported that he was taken to hospital for an evaluation; it said a CBS Sports broadcast later described him as ‘OK’. No further medical update was established in the reports.
After Timo Baumgartl scored St. Louis's opening penalty, Lundt dived left and got a hand to Santiago Rodríguez's effort, which deflected off the post, according to AP. It was Columbus's first attempt in the shootout, the Guardian reported. St. Louis converted all five of its kicks, with Edelman shooting down the middle for the winner as Crew goalkeeper Nicholas Hagen went the other way.
AP identified Lukas MacNaughton, Chris Durkin and Damion Downs as St. Louis's other scorers. Lundt's intervention came in only his fourth appearance of the season, according to the wire service. The Guardian also reported that he had won a quarter-final shootout against Houston earlier in the competition.
What the U.S. Open Cup win means for St. Louis
Columbus had the better of the chances during regulation, outshooting St. Louis 16-3 over the opening 90 minutes, according to the Guardian. Neither side found a goal across 120 minutes, leaving the trophy to be decided by penalties. Columbus had been seeking a second U.S. Open Cup title; St. Louis's win instead gave its club a first major honour.
The result also extends a longer St. Louis soccer history. Clubs from the city had won 10 previous Open Cup titles, the Guardian reported, most recently in 1988. This was the city's 11th, ending a 38-year gap, and it came in the 109th final of a competition first held in 1913-14. The tournament includes professional and amateur teams, although MLS clubs have dominated it for more than two decades, AP reported.
Read in depth: Sports
Utah suspends defensive tackle Jamal Wallace indefinitely after intimate-image arrest
The university says it suspended Wallace on October 11, the day he was arrested. Separate sexual-assault allegations remain uncharged and are disputed.
Indiana prepares for Michigan after 22-game winning streak ends
No. 6 Indiana faces its first attempt to rebound from a loss in nearly two years after Ohio State ended its 22-game run. Curt Cignetti says the Hoosiers must recover from a...
Sources and context
- Backup Ben Lundt makes key save in shootout as St. Louis beats Crew to win Lamar Hunt U.S. Open CupAssociated Press, republished by Yahoo Sports
- History comes home as St Louis City top Columbus Crew to win US Open CupThe Guardian
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.