The Columbus Crew will host St. Louis City SC in the U.S. Open Cup final on Wednesday at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field in Columbus, Ohio. The match kicks off at 8 p.m. ET and will be broadcast live on CBS Sports Network, with live streaming available on Paramount+.
Deep Connections and Stakes
The connection between the two clubs runs deep, as St. Louis sporting director Corey Wray and head coach Yoann Damet both previously worked within the Columbus Crew system. In addition, Columbus captain Sean Zawadzki and St. Louis midfielder Dante Polvara won an NCAA championship together at Georgetown University in 2019. Beyond the trophy, the winner of the final will secure a place in the Concacaf Champions Cup and collect $600,000 in prize money, while the runner-up will receive $250,000.
St. Louis boasts a rich soccer history with teams from the city claiming 10 Open Cup titles, though their last victory came 38 years ago. Meanwhile, the Columbus Crew hold nine trophies across all competitions in MLS history and will compete for another in front of their home supporters. According to CBS Sports Headlines, the betting odds list Columbus at +130, a draw at +250, and St. Louis City SC at +182.
St. Louis Squad Depth Tested
St. Louis will be missing recent addition Rafael Navarro, who scored eight goals and provided three assists in eight games after joining from the Colorado Rapids, because he is cup-tied after playing in the tournament for the Rapids. However, Simon Becher steps in following a strong campaign that includes 10 goals and four assists across 33 appearances in all competitions. Becher will be supported in the attack by Carlo Holse and Alexandru Matan, another former Columbus player.
Columbus Relies on New Additions
The Crew will look to Brais Mendez to guide them to victory. Mendez joined the club following a Copa del Rey win with Real Sociedad to replace Diego Rossi, and he has recorded 11 goal contributions in all competitions since his arrival. Columbus manager Laurent Courtois confirmed that Mendez’s halftime substitution against FC Cincinnati was not due to an injury. New recruit Anass Zaroury is also available after recovering from an illness, and Josef Martinez is anticipated to lead the attack.
Lamar Hunt, the namesake of the tournament, founded both the American Football League and Major League Soccer, and previously owned the Columbus Crew alongside the Kansas City Wizards. The Columbus Crew last won the Open Cup in 2002 by defeating the Los Angeles Galaxy, and they will aim to end that drought in front of their home crowd.
Source: CBS Sports Headlines
