St. Louis CITY SC made club history Wednesday night in Columbus. The team earned its first U.S. Open Cup championship after a tense, scoreless match that stretched through extra time and ended in a 5–3 penalty shootout victory over the Columbus Crew.
The match at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field never opened up for either side. Columbus controlled long stretches of possession and finished with more chances, but CITY SC stayed disciplined. The back line held its shape, blocked shots and kept the Crew from turning pressure into anything dangerous. St. Louis didn’t generate many attempts of its own, but the team stayed organized enough to keep the match level and force a decisive finish.
That finish came down to penalties — and CITY SC stepped into the moment with composure.
Goalkeeper Roman Bürki exited in the 78th minute, putting backup Ben Lundt in the spotlight. He delivered immediately. Columbus took the first shot of the shootout, and Lundt guessed right, knocking away Santiago Rodríguez’s attempt and giving CITY SC the early advantage.
From there, St. Louis stayed steady. Timo Baumgartl opened the scoring, followed by confident makes from Lukas MacNaughton, Chris Durkin and Damion Downs. Daniel Edelman closed it out with CITY SC’s fifth penalty — the one that secured the club’s first trophy.
Columbus finished with 16 shots to CITY SC’s five, but St. Louis made the moments that mattered count. The midfield disrupted plays, slowed Columbus’ rhythm and kept the match from tilting too far in one direction. It wasn’t flashy soccer — it was controlled, patient and built on trust in the team’s structure.
When the match finally came down to nerve and execution, CITY SC delivered.
CITY SC didn’t dominate the stat sheet. But they stayed connected, stayed patient and stepped up when the match demanded it.