St. Louis CITY SC Aims to ‘Write History’ in U.S. Open Cup Final Debut
St. Louis CITY SC will face Columbus Crew for a chance to be crowned champions of the 111th Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on Wednesday, Oct. 21
COMMERCE CITY, Colo. – At the foot of the Rocky Mountains inside DICK’S Sporting Goods Park, among the venue’s pattern of burgundy and silver features, gleamed a vivid slice of bright pink.
The darkening clouds drifted above them, the result of a downpour earlier in the evening, and the surrounding stands of opposition emptied, but the fans clad in magenta stood firm and proud in their place, reverberating a four-word chant with gusto, over and over again:
“We want the Cup! We want the Cup!”
They sang it loudly to their team, St. Louis CITY SC, as players came off the pitch toward the corner flag and into the tunnel. The MLS Western Conference side had just completed a dominant 3-0 shutout victory on the road over Colorado Rapids in the second of two Semifinals of the 2026 U.S. Open Cup on Wednesday, Sept. 17.
The clean sheet advanced St. Louis CITY SC to the venerated U.S. Open Cup Final, which kicks off one month later and positions the club just one win away from its first-ever championship, bringing the team's passionate fans so close to a trophy they can almost taste it.
“We are very happy that we have fans like this,” captain Roman Bürki said after the match. “It's not only at home [that we have] exceptional support; it's also away and everywhere we play. It doesn't matter if it's Vancouver, Dallas, or Portland, there's always St. Louis CITY fans, and that means a lot for us.”
Chris Durkin #8 celebrates a team goal in the second half against the Colorado Rapids at DICK'S Sporting Goods Park (Photo by Dustin Bradford/USSF/Getty Images)
Given their team’s recent form, St. Louis fans have good reason to feel excited. The Semifinal win extended its club-record unbeaten streak to 17 straight matches, a months-long accomplishment that began all the way back in May against the same team St. Louis defeated in the Semifinal, the first of three victories against Colorado this year. Through 26 regular season matches, the team has accumulated a 12W-6L-8D record, third-best in the Western Conference with seven matches to go before Decision Day.
The current streak, which the team has already extended to 18 with its most recent victory in MLS play over Toronto FC on Sept. 19, has included a string of results both home and away. Whether it’s in front of a sold-out crowd at Energizer Park or three different goal scorers contributing in a high-stakes road environment, St. Louis has found a consistency under first-year head coach Yohann Damet that has led to one of the most successful campaigns in MLS history.
“It's nothing new to me,” Damet said. “I know this group of guys. I'm spending so much time with them – more time than I spend with my family. I know what they're capable of. We showed it for a while now that whether we play home or we play away, we're going to have that mindset.”
The latest Open Cup victory saw the visitors undaunted and largely in control. Defensively, St. Louis held the home team to one shot on target in 90 minutes, zero in the second half. Despite possessing only 37 percent of the ball, St. Louis CITY was effective in their chances, shown with the opening goal of the night when forward Jeong Sang-Bin took advantage of a takeaway in the 32nd minute to score his second career Open Cup goal and fourth total on the season.
CITY SC followed that up with two more goals in the second half, the first Open Cup goals for both scorers. The first arrived in the 52nd minute from forward and Kansas native Simon Becher, which completed a beautifully developing play that eventually fell into space for a first-time cross from Norwegian midfielder Conrad Wallem to set up the goal. Seven minutes later, midfielder Alexandru Matan delivered on a clinical finish to eliminate any lingering hope of a late comeback from Colorado.
“We faced a difficult opponent that I think were amazing at their place,” Matan said after the match. “We had a hard game, but I think the little details made the difference today, and we are happy to be in the final.”
Head coach Yoann Damet of St. Louis CITY SC during the 2026 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Semifinals (Photo by Dustin Bradford/USSF/Getty Images)
Advancing to the Final means a chance for St. Louis CITY SC to further deepen the city's Open Cup roots. In the 110 previous editions of the tournament, a St. Louis-based club has won the trophy 10 times, most recently in 1988 when the St. Louis Busch Seniors captured the crown.
To secure the opportunity with a collective performance is a feat Damat called a “full club moment,” one he hopes the team and all those involved behind the scenes have a chance to appreciate.
“We want to write history for the club,” Damat said. “It's the first final in club history. It's the first game that is going to matter for a trophy. So, very, very happy for the guys. Very happy for the group. It's their reward for all the work they've been putting in, all the trust they have in each other and the togetherness they've showed on the pitch.”
In the Open Cup Final, St. Louis CITY will face Columbus Crew out of MLS’s Eastern Conference, a team with some ties to St. Louis’ current team. Damat spent three years on staff at Columbus Crew under Wilfried Nancy and was part of the Crew’s MLS Cup and Leagues Cup titles in 2023. While with the Crew, Damat spent two seasons with Matan. The attacking midfielder from Romania scored six goals and recorded 15 assists during his four seasons in Ohio.
“I'm happy that they [will] also play the final, and we're going to meet each other again,” Matan said. “But now I'm St. Louis player, and a final is a final, so we're going there to win, definitely.”
“It’s a trophy on the line,” he continued. “It doesn't matter if it's an MLS Cup final or a Champions League final. It's a trophy on the line, and you have to play for a trophy. Nobody will remember second place, unfortunately. So, you have to go for the gold.”
St. Louis CITY SC aims to do just that among a sea of Black & Gold at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field, and when they arrive to Ohio’s capital next month for a chance to add the club’s first piece of silverware, the boys from Missouri will look to embody the same energy and hunger from the fans wearing City Red.
“We want the Cup, too,” Bürki said. “So, we are on the same page. That's good.”
One win away from American soccer history 🏆
— U.S. Open Cup (@opencup) September 18, 2026
The @ColumbusCrew and @stlCITYsc will meet in the 2026 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final on Oct. 21. pic.twitter.com/wSdgfcnGk3