The Big Picture
St Louis soccer history is no longer trapped in fading black-and-white archives. As The Guardian reported from Columbus, St Louis City survived 120 minutes of abrasive, scoreless soccer before taking down the Columbus Crew on penalties to lift the 109th US Open Cup.
The triumph delivers the expansion outfit its first piece of silverware since joining MLS in 2023. Beyond the immediate party on the pitch, this victory hands St Louis a golden pass straight into the 2027 Concacaf Champions Cup.
The Top 10 Moments
10. Guido Gonzales Jr Blows the Whistle at 45:00 Sharp
If you wanted sparkling, open-field attacking play, the opening half of this final was pure agony. St Louis controlled 60 percent of the ball through the opening half-hour but failed to register a single shot. Columbus probed patiently for Brais Méndez yet never threatened Roman Bürki, prompting referee Guido Gonzales Jr to blow for half-time the exact second 45 minutes expired without a single tick of stoppage time.
This sequence anchors the tenth spot because it defined the defensive gridlock of the night. While it ranks below the actual goalmouth drama, it exposed the tactical caution that froze both squads early.
9. Eric Bailly Enters as Columbus Scrambles to Replace Taha Habroune
Columbus lost its midfield anchor late in regulation when breakout prospect Taha Habroune went down with a non-contact leg muscle issue. Crew manager Laurent Courtois summoned veteran Eric Bailly off the bench, forcing captain Sean Zawadzki to vacate the defensive line and push into midfield. That late structural reshuffle stripped Columbus of Zawadzki's clean passing from deep right when the match began to stretch.
This lands at number nine because it threw the home team's midfield chemistry out of balance. It sits below the missed chances because it was a forced adjustment rather than a direct match-deciding play.
8. Timo Baumgartl Silences the Nordecke in Round One
Taking the first kick in a hostile road environment requires pure nerve. Timo Baumgartl walked directly into the noise of the Nordecke supporter section to set the tone for St Louis. He struck his penalty with zero hesitation, sending the ball home and dumping all the psychological pressure right onto the hosts.
Baumgartl takes eighth place because setting an early pace in a road shootout often dictates the outcome. He ranks behind the later spot-kicks simply because opening attempts carry a baseline standard of conversion.
7. Damion Downs Botches a Winner in the 100th Minute
St Louis spent most of the second half parked in their own half, but the ultimate counter arrived in the tenth minute of extra stoppage time. US international Damion Downs found himself clean through with space inside the Columbus penalty area. With the championship at his feet, Downs took an awful, heavy touch that allowed the Crew defense to snuff out the chance.
This botched look claims the seventh spot as the single worst offensive blunder of the final. It easily ranks above the Bailly substitution because it squandered a golden chance to prevent penalties entirely.
6. Ben Lundt Gets a Finger to Andrés Herrera's Fourth-Round Strike
Shootouts are wars of inches where fractional delays turn into heart-stoppers. In round four, Columbus defender Andrés Herrera aimed for the corner, and backup keeper Ben Lundt read it perfectly. Lundt managed to get a fingertip to the strike, but the ball packed just enough venom to sneak into the net.
This moment sits at six because it proved Lundt was seeing the ball cleanly and tracking every Columbus shooter. It edges past Baumgartl's kick because of the intense sudden-death pressure of the later rounds.
5. Carlo Holse Clatters Santi Rodríguez Before VAR Clears the Penalty
Chaos erupted in the 69th minute when St Louis midfielder Carlo Holse flattened Santi Rodríguez from behind inside the box. Referee Guido Gonzales Jr played advantage as Brais Méndez scooped up the loose ball, delaying the inevitable whistle. While Bürki received medical care moments later, the VAR spent several tense minutes reviewing the replay before determining Holse's challenge did not warrant a spot-kick.
This controversy takes fifth place because a penalty award would have handed Columbus the trophy in regulation. It ranks above the near-saves because it radically shaped how the officials called the physical battles.
4. Yoann Damet Secures Personal Redemption Over Columbus
Coaching narratives rarely provide this brand of poetic justice. Yoann Damet worked as Wilfried Nancy's lead assistant in Columbus, but the Crew hierarchy bypassed him to hire Henrik Rydström and his disastrous relationism style. Rydström lasted just 17 games before getting fired in May, leaving the Crew to reboot under Courtois.
Damet went to St Louis as the youngest manager in MLS, guided his team through this final, and outfoxed his former employers. According to The Guardian's tactical breakdown, Damet organized a defensive block that absorbed a 16-3 shot barrage over 120 minutes. It claims fourth place for its immense strategic vindication.
3. Roman Bürki Puts His Body on the Line to Deny Anass Zaroury
Pure grit defined Roman Bürki's evening before an injury ended his match. During that hectic 69th-minute sequence, Méndez slipped a ball to Anass Zaroury, who looked certain to break the deadlock from six yards out. Bürki flew off his line, smothered the effort, and absorbed a heavy blow to the head from Zaroury's knee.
The collision forced a six-minute stoppage, ending with the Swiss shot-stopper stretchered off to a standing ovation from both fanbases.
The CBS Sports broadcast relayed that Bürki was "OK" shortly after his departure, though he was taken to the hospital for an evaluation.
Bürki takes third place because his heroic double-block kept St Louis alive when Columbus looked unstoppable. He ranks above Damet's tactics because championships demand physical sacrifice.
2. Ben Lundt Stones Santi Rodríguez in Round One
Entering a cup final on a stretcher substitution is tough enough, but Ben Lundt thrives on this stage. When Columbus sent playmaker Santi Rodríguez to take their opening spot-kick, Lundt stood tall. He exploded to his left, using a firm left hand to swat Rodríguez's drive away and instantly swing the math in favor of St Louis.
This save takes the runner-up spot because it was the solitary stop across ten penalties in the shootout. It beats Bürki's open-play save because it handed St Louis the statistical advantage they never surrendered.
1. Daniel Edelman Drills the Decisive Fifth-Round Trophy Clincher
Everything rode on Daniel Edelman when he strolled to the penalty spot in the fifth round. St Louis held a 4-4 deadlock in the shootout with a chance to win it outright on kick five. Edelman never blinked, sending the keeper the wrong way and drilling the ball into the netting to seal a 5-4 shootout victory.
Edelman claims the undisputed top spot because his strike ended a 38-year title drought for the soccer capital of the Midwest. No tactical switch or goalkeeper stop compares to the singular moment that actually delivers silverware to the cabinet.
Honorable Mentions & The Final Verdict
Two critical background stories barely missed the cut for our ten selections:
- The 1988 Precedent: St Louis Busch Seniors winning the 1988 Open Cup over San Francisco Greek-American AC stood as the city's last national championship before Wednesday night.
- Rafael Navarro's Tournament Ineligibility: St Louis played this entire final without star forward Rafael Navarro, who was cap-tied after earlier appearances with Colorado.
St Louis made history by grinding through hostile territory and making every penalty count. As chronicled in the US Open Cup coverage, winning the nation's oldest tournament takes stubborn resilience. St Louis City brought the trophy home, and nobody can take it away.
