St. Louis City SC

2026 US Open Cup Semifinals: St. Louis CITY blank Colorado Rapids, reach first USOC Final

September 17, 2026 by Andrew Mosier

Several St. Louis CITY SC fans made the trip to Commerce City, Colo. to cheer on their team during the 2026 US Open Cup Semifinal match against the Colorado Rapids. Photo: St. Louis CITY SC

The drought is over. After a 38-year absence, a team from St. Louis is back in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Final.

Following a rich history of St. Louis clubs, St. Louis CITY SC advanced to its first US Open Cup Final with a 3-0 win over the Colorado Rapids Wednesday night at DICK’S Sporting Goods Park.

Jeong Sang-bin scored in the first half, and Simon Becher and Alexandru-Irinel Mǎtan added goals in the second stanza to put St. Louis into the Final on Oct. 21 against the Columbus Crew at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field in Columbus.

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“Tonight was a complete performance. The way we defended, the way we attacked. I’m really proud of the group,” Yoann Damet, St. Louis CITY SC head coach, said. “We’re writing history for this club. We’re playing in the first final in club history, the first game for a trophy. This is their reward for all the work they’ve put in, all the trust they have in each other.”

Busch Soccer Club was the last St. Louis-based club to appear in an Open Cup Final, beating San Francisco’s Greek American AC 2-1 at the fabled St. Louis Soccer Park to capture the 1988 US Open Cup title. St. Louis City will be the 23^rd Missouri-based club to appear in the Open Cup final. Out of the 110 tournament, a total of 10 teams from St. Louis have lifted the trophy.

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Wednesday’s win entended St. Louis’ unbeaten streak to 17 games across all competitions, a streak that started May 9 against the Rapids in Commerce City.

There was no love lost between the two mid-table Western Conference clubs. Neither of the two fixtures between the two clubs this season—both 1-0 St. Louis wins—could be considered elegant, with 11 cautions and three ejections in the two matches, which also included words between the coaching staffs, not to mention St. Louis buying the Rapids captain Rafael Navarro for a club-record $12 million during the summer transfer window.

Navarro had one goal in the Rapids run to the Semifinals, a penalty kick in the Rapids’ 2-0 quarterfinal win over San Jose.

With even more at stake, the edge of the clubs’ two regular season matches carried over, with both sides looking to make boot-sized impressions on the other from the opening whistle. Referee Joe Dickerson had more than his handful six cautions, which included a VAR rescinded straight red card for what he judged to be a studs-up challenge the replay proved not to be.

It was the Rapids who had the first two chances—albeit slim ones—early in the match, failing to fully connect on crosses that sent City goalkeeper Roman Bürki scrambling across the face of his goal to see the ball safely out of play. In the eighth minute, Darren Yappi got in behind with a long run from midfield, but his touch failed him before he could turn to goal.

St. Louis came right back at the Rapids, putting Mǎtan though the Rapids high defensive line, forcing Rapids goalkeeper Adam Beaudry to make a swatting save as Mǎtan tried to put the ball around him.

The back-and-forth continued through the half-hour mark, when a howler from Beaudry, a homegrown player who spent much of the year playing for Loudoun United in the USL Championship, turned the tide of the game. Looking to slow the game, the Rapids played the ball back to Beaudry, who’s poor touch went straight into Sang-bin’s shins. Both players went to ground scrambling for the ball. Sang-bin was quicker to his feet and easily tapped the ball into the goal to put St. Louis on the board in the 32^nd minute.

“Sang-bin created that goal,” Damet said. “He made that mistake happen. His run, his starting position, his hard work. He made that goal happen. To score a goal like that, when you’re playing away, gives you a lot of confidence.”

St. Louis carried the momentum into the second half when Simon Becher finished a ball played into the penalty area from Conrad Wallem on a quick break after the Rapids were dispossessed at midfield. After a lengthy review, Dickerson was called to the VAR screen to determine if a foul at midfield created the goalscoring opportunity. After multiple replays—and possibly a Friends episode—Dickerson let the 52nd minute goal stand.

Simon Becher of St. Louis CITY SC celebrates with Conrad Wallem after scoring a goal against the Colorado Rapids in the 2026 US Open Cup Semifinals. Photo: St. Louis CITY SC

The game unraveled after that.

Seven minutes later, Mǎtan made it 3-0, running onto a superb flick-on from Thomas Totland after a quick restart at midfield after the Rapids’ Paxten Aaronson picked up a petulant caution. As Mǎtan’s shot hit the back of the net, the 300 or so St. Louis fans in attendance began chanting “We want the cup.”

The chant rang through the half-filled DICK’S Sporting Goods Park well after the final whistle blew and St. Louis players celebrated with the traveling fans.

“We are very happy we have fans like this,” Bürki, the team captain, who has been with the club since its inaugural season in 2023. “Everywhere we play, there are St. Louis CITY fans, and that means a lot to us. And yeah, we want the cup, too.”

1988 US Open Cup champions: Busch SC of St. Louis

With Wednesday night’s semifinal win, St. Louis CITY will travel to Ohio to face the Columbus Crew, where Damet was an assistant coach during the Crew’s 2023 MLS Cup winning run.

“We want to make history for the club, win the first trophy for the club. There is a feeling of not being satisfied, wanting to push, wanting to keep fighting for one another. It’s the mindset this group has,” said Damet. “At the end of the day, these guys turn up ready every single day to work. Playing in a final is a reward for that hard work.”

2026 US Open Cup Quarterfinals: Marcel Hartel of St. Louis CITY SC voted TheCup.us Player of Round

May 29, 2026 by Tim Thomas

Graphic: Frank Lanham | Photo: St. Louis CITY SC

After a performance where he went a full 120 minutes, scored a brace that accounted for all his team’s goals, and converted his shootout attempt, Marcel Hartel of St. Louis CITY SC has been awarded TheCup.us Player of the Round for the 2026 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Quarterfinals. He was a key factor in the Mound City club finishing with a 2-2 draw against the Houston Dynamo and advancing 4-2 in the PK shootout.

Hartel is the first-ever player from St. Louis CITY SC to receive the award, beating out teammate Ben Lundt and Brian Ojeda of Orlando City SC for the honor.

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Lundt was the breakout hero of the match, coming off the bench in the 26^th minute for injured starting goalkeeper Roman Bürki, he secured the first ever shootout win in club history. However, Lundt would not have been able to take a staring role with his heroics without the yeoman’s work put in by Hartel. That work secured Hartel the votes to win.

TheCup.us Player of the Round is voted on by TheCup.us staff, a select panel from the North American Soccer Reporters and select backers (those that pledge $10 or more) from TheCup.us’ Patreon team.

Hartel’s first goal would come in the first half as the result of some chaos in the box. A long cross was played in by CITY’s Chris Durkin. The ball bounced off three different players before it fell to Hartel, who swiftly deposited the ball into the back of the net and put St. Louis up 1-0.

The remainder of the first half would see St. Louis lose its starting goalkeeper/captain in Bürki, then lose the lead and fall behind 2-1. Hartel was handed the captain’s armband at the half and tasked with leading his team in a come-from-behind victory.

“I appreciate that I got the captain band I’m very proud,” Hartel said after the game. “First, I am very sad for Roman that he had to go out with an injury. But then I was very proud to be captain.”

Hartel would soon get his chance. In the 49^th minute, CITY’s Sergio Cordova was pulled down in the box by Houston’s Agustin Resch.

With the game in the balance, Hartel was called upon to take the penalty kick and tie the game. Hartel stepped up and scored with a determined single-mindedness.

“Try to help the team,” said Hartel. “Just one thing in my head score the goal, take the 2-2, and go for the next one.”

Hartel’s goal would tie the match at 2-2 and that scoreline would hold through the rest of regulation and the 30 minutes of added extra time.

The game proceeded to shootouts, where Hartel would be called upon to make a second attempt against a goalkeeper who had already faced him from the spot earlier. Hartel was not concerned about the possibility that Houston’s Jonathan Bond was prepared for revenge.

Marcel Hartel of St. Louis CITY SC celebrates with his teammates after scoring a goal against the Houston Dynamo in the Quarterfinals of the 2026 US Open Cup. Photo: St. Louis CITY SC

“I guess that the other goalkeeper looks at how we are shooting if penalties are coming up. Probably he saw me before as well, but I saw him too,” said Hartel.

It was of no concern, as Hartel beat Bond for the second time on the night and St. Louis beat Houston in the shootout 4-2.

This competition has gone better for Hartel than his previous experience in the DFB-Pokal his home country Germany’s version of the Open Cup.

2026 TheCup.us Player of the Round winners
R1 – Ben Fall – Asheville City
R2 – Joshua Yoder – FC Naples
R3 – Denis Krioutchenkov – One Knoxville
R16 – Maxi Moralez – NYCFC

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“We went also to the quarterfinals, and I missed two pens in a row in the penalty shootout” he said.

Hartel is just the second German-born player to win the award, joining Phoenix Rising goalkeeper Peter Rakovsky who won the award last year in the Third Round.

With a Player of the Round Award in hand and a better Quarterfinals experience than his previous one, Marcel Hartel will look to repeat his performance in the Semifinals against the Colorado Rapids on Sept. 16 in Commerce City, CO.

2026 US Open Cup Quarterfinals: Ben Lundt comes off bench to help St. Louis CITY eliminate Houston in PKs

May 20, 2026 by Tim Thomas

After an early injury to St. Louis CITY SC starting goalkeeper Roman Bürki, the day was saved by backup keeper Ben Lundt as CITY advanced over the Houston Dynamo 4-2 in a penalty shootout. After 120 minutes of heated back-and-forth play ended all square 2-2.

In a game that often felt like a bout between heavyweight fighters, in no small part because of a combined ten yellow cards including two assessed to the benches, Lundt would come away the hero and help send his club to its first Semifinal appearance in the club’s short history.

“I’m more proud of being the guy to step in when there’s an opportunity,” Lundt said. “I don’t really try to judge myself on one performance. It doesn’t really matter how it could have went today bad game, good game doesn’t really matter. I am proud that I show up every single day in training.”

St. Louis came out swinging, battering the Houston defense and keeping the pressure on early. CITY would hit paydirt with a pinball play in the 9th minute. An audacious cross field pass by Chris Durkin bounced off Houston defender Felipe Andrade, CITY defender Tomas Totland, and Houston goalkeeper Jonathan Bond before it landed at the feet of Marcel Hartel.

Hartel slammed it home to give CITY an early 1-0 lead.

The lead would not last as Houston struck back with the help of a little luck. After receiving a back pass from Durkin, CITY keeper Roman Bürki attempted to play the ball out. As he was handling the ball in the box Bürki slipped and fell leaving the ball unattended. Houston Dynamo player Mateusz Bogusz was there to collect the loose change and deposit it back into the net to bring the scoreline even and score his second goal of the tournament.

Things began to snowball from there for CITY. After having to retreat and defend an intercepted pass out of the back Bürki signaled to the bench that he needed help. It would be the end of the night for Bürki and Lundt was called into action. While unfortunate, it seemed that the injury to Bürki did not come as a complete surprise.

“We knew he had something lingering for the past day or two. He knows his body, he’s a good pro. He’s been doing it for years now. He thought, we thought he could go through the game. He felt like a little something a little bit in the warmup and he wanted to try,” St. Louis CITY coach Yoann Damet said. “We’ll see, we’ll evaluate him and see where he’s at.”

With their starting keeper and captain out of the match, CITY began to waver as Houston gained momentum. The Dynamo began to push more aggressively on the beleaguered hometown team; it came to a head in the 42nd minute.

A short corner kick found its way to Houston midfielder Artur via Jack McGlynn. Artur struck it from well outside the box. The ball traveled through some traffic and beat a diving Lundt to the far corner giving Houston the lead.

“It’s been over a year since I played my last game for CITY and that is a long time,” said Lundt. “So, it was tough for me to come in. First shot was a goal. I don’t think I looked great on it. But that’s my job to play the game and see what the game gives me.”

St. Louis wouldn’t let the lead last for long in the second half. At the 49th minute Conrad Wallem delivered a pass to Sergio Cordova who was pulled down in the box by Houston’s Agustin Resch.

After the requisite wailing and gnashing of teeth that comes with any foul in the box Marcel Hartel stepped up to take the kick. He drove home the game tying goal and secured himself a brace for the evening.

BIG BEN!!!! 🧤 pic.twitter.com/zzkgYF54Ce
— St Louis CITY SC (@stlCITYsc) May 20, 2026

The final minutes of regulation would see quality chances for both sides. CITY’s Simon Becher had a point-blank shot saved by goalkeeper Jonathan Bond. While Guilherme nearly won it for Houston with a free kick that banged off the woodwork. In the end, 90 minutes was not enough to decide the game.

Extra time got off to a cracking start with Lundt making a leaping save with his right arm outstretched over his body in the 103rd minute. The game almost did not make it to the penalty shootout without some heroics from St. Louis’ Dante Polvara.

In the 105th minute Houston had a lone player on a breakaway. Lundt attempted to come out and make a play but was dribbled around. It was one Houston player and a seemingly wide-open CITY net.

The end of the game was in sight until Polvara came flying in to make a sliding save.

St. Louis CITY SC players celebrate after winning the PK shootout against the Houston Dynamo in the Quarterfinals of the 2026 US Open Cup. Photo: St. Louis CITY SC

“It speaks to the mindset of the guy. I think I said that earlier in the season. In those moments it’s more unconscious than conscious,” Damet said. “When you keep going and you don’t stop. You are speaking about one split second of still believing. Running, sprinting, and making the tackle. It goes a lot with something unconscious and the belief the guys have and how much they care about the team.”

Polvara’s split second of still believing made it so that Lundt could repay that faith in the net. The game would be decided from the spot and Lundt would have to stand tall.

Lundt’s first save would be on the first shot he faced. Leaping to his left Lundt stopped a shot by Houston’s Guilherme. The second shot was a replay of the first. Lundt saved Héctor Herrara’s attempt with a diving save to the keeper’s left. All the CITY SC shooters converted on their opportunities.

Just like that, St. Louis had won and Lundt had written himself into the history books as the first keeper in the club’s short history to win a penalty shootout.

St. Louis CITY SC players celebrate with their fans after winning the PK shootout against the Houston Dynamo in the Quarterfinals of the 2026 US Open Cup. Photo: St. Louis CITY SC

“Feels great, we’ve been talking in the locker room with the coaching staff about a lot of new firsts. Beating LAFC for the first time. Going to Colorado and getting a result. So many firsts, the club is young. But again, to be part of this and in general being part of this group is great,” Lundt said.

This is the first time in the Modern Era that a St. Louis team has advanced to the Semifinals of the US Open Cup. The last local team to make it into the Quarterfinals was Saint Louis FC of the United Soccer League when they upset FC Cincinnati in 2019. The last Mound City club to reach the Semifinals was Busch SC who would go on to win the US Open Cup in 1988.

In a coming full circle moment that Cincinnati team was coached by none other than current CITY coach Yoann Damet. Before the commencement of the match with Houston, CITY honored Sam Fink the man who struck down Damet’s Cincinnati team with a towering stoppage time header. The moment served as a way to remember past Open Cup glory and honor a player who was synonymous with Saint Louis FC.

Sam Fink of Saint Louis FC celebrates his goal against FC Cincinnati in a Round of 16 match in the 2019 US Open Cup. Photo: Saint Louis FC

“When I was a pro I always dreamed of putting on a CITY shirt and stepping foot on that field. Falling short of that dream was something that I really struggled with for a while after retiring,” said Fink, who was voted TheCup.us Player of the Round during that Cup run. “To pull on a CITY shirt with my name on it and walk onto that field in a completely different capacity felt like a beautiful closure to a missed dream that once hurt quite deep. Extreme gratitude is the only work I can come up with to explain tonight. Gratitude to the club for including me, gratitude to the supporters for keeping memories like my Open Cup goal alive, and gratitude for every person and teammate along my journey that is just as deserving as me to be honored tonight.”

In September, St. Louis CITY SC will play the winner of the San Jose Earthquakes and Colorado Rapids match. If San Jose wins, CITY will host the match, but if the Rapids win, St. Louis will have to travel to Colorado.

Where Sam Fink and St. Louis FC fell short in the Quarterfinals, they can now pass the torch on to the next generation. That generation will carry it into uncharted territory for modern St. Louis teams. St. Louis is onto the semifinals.

2026 US Open Cup Round of 16: St. Louis CITY rally to beat Chicago Fire to reach first Quarterfinals

April 30, 2026 by Alex Campbell

Mykhi Joyner of St. Louis CITY SC prepares to shoot against the Chicago Fire in the Round of 16 of the 2026 US Open Cup. Photo: St. Louis CITY SC

St. Louis CITY SC advanced to their first US Open Cup Quarterfinal in the club’s young history on Wednesday night in Bridgeview, Illinois as they came from behind to defeat the Chicago Fire, 2-1.

It was an emotional night not just because of grabbing a bit of tournament history, but because the winning goal was delivered by captain Eduard Lowen who returned to action on April 18 after the passing of his wife, Ilona, following a two-year battle with cancer.

“I hope this is gonna give him and the group a lot of confidence going forward,” said St. Louis head coach Yoann Damet of Lowen, who entered the game as a substitute in the second half. “The way he’s able to express himself, he brings a lot of quality in the final third.”

“We all know that Edu is a very special player and a very special person,” said Tomas Totland, the other scorer on the night for the victors. “I’m so so happy for him and for the team as well.”

The game’s first half was cagey, with the home side dominating possession and hitting the woodwork of Roman Burki’s goal twice via shots from Hugo Cuypers and Maren Haile-Selassie. The Fire eventually found a breakthrough in the 64th minute via captain Anton Saletros heading in from close range off a Philip Zinckernagel cross in front of the Harlem end to bring the crowd of 3,246 to life.

Ironically, the goal seemed to ignite City, who within 14 minutes had turned it around. In the 71st minute — following a poor giveaway by Robin Lod in the Fire penalty area and goal line clearance by Joel Waterman — Totland found the loose ball and squeezed his shot past a sprawling Chris Brady and a still-in-the-goalmouth Waterman to equalize.

The winner came in the 78th minute on an efficient counter attack, with a fizzed ball through the box by Mykhi Joyner finding a wide-open Lowen, as he struck a shot into the top right corner of Brady’s net. Lowen was soon engulfed by teammates like he’d just scored the winning penalty in a cup final. Due to that goal, the team from the Gateway City can keep dreaming about competing for silverware this season despite poor form in their Major League Soccer season so far.

“The Cup is always a special thing,” Totland said, reflecting not only on the Open Cup but his years playing in Sweden’s Svenska Cupen. “It’s something that the club has big ambitions in.”

“We take a lot of pride in being the first to make a quarterfinal, that was part of the goal for the season,” Damet said. “We want to leave our mark on the history.”

City can now look four weeks ahead to another chance to make a little Open Cup history.

“The first thing I said when it came to the cup was we’re gonna be all in,” Damet said. “You’re only two games away from a final so we’re gonna keep going all in.”

2026 US Open Cup Round 3: St. Louis CITY falls short of tacos in shutout of FC Tulsa

April 16, 2026 by Tim Thomas

Tomas Ostrak of St. Louis CITY SC celebrates after scoring a goal against FC Tulsa in the Third Round of the 2026 US Open Cup. Photo: St. Louis CITY SC

St. Louis CITY SC scored 20 minutes in, then added three more goals to take down USL Championship side FC Tulsa 4-0 in Wednesday’s Round of 32 matchup in the 2026 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup at Energizer Park.

After beating San Antonio FC and Little Rock Rangers in the first two rounds of the Open Cup; FC Tulsa made its first trip to St. Louis since defeating now-defunct Saint Louis FC in the COVID-shortened 2020 season. Attempting to keep the dream alive in their third consecutive road match in Open Cup play, Tulsa did not shy away from CITY, playing aggressively and getting a handful of set pieces in the first half.

“We played a very good team in Tulsa that came out with a plan, that went all in, that was brave,” said CITY coach Yoann Damet. “So, credit to them in the way they approached that game and the way they made it difficult for us.”

St. Louis took advantage of the hard-charging Tulsa players by applying pressure early and often whenever Tulsa touched the ball. Eventually the game would break in CITY’s favor.

“I think that comes with just our core of our team,” Mykhi Joyner said. “We always want to be aggressive, and we want to be on the front foot of the defense. Just trying to be more aggressive than them and then take the ball in their final third and punish them.”

Sang-Bin Jeong used fancy footwork to dribble through the Tulsa defense in the 20th minute. Getting near the touch line and leaving more than a few Tulsa defenders wondering if their shoes were untied. Sang-Bin put the ball into the box where it went from Tomas Totland to the feet of a wide-open Marcel Hartel.

Hartel drove it into the upper 90 to give CITY a lead that would never be challenged.

As the first half rolled on, St. Louis would score one of the more unique goals in its young history. St. Louis CITY keeper Roman Bürki played a deep long ball forward. It looped across the field clearing the Tulsa line, the ball then took a large bounce and found the head of Sang-Bin who put it over FC Tulsa keeper Dane Jacomen.

It was the soccer equivalent of a “Hail Mary” pass in football.

“This was actually planned,” Hartel said. “We knew that they play man-to-man and when we saw in the buildup that they are coming man-to-man, that we attract them with eight guys a bit deeper and then Roman shoots it behind the line. It worked perfectly.”

Oddly enough this marked the second time in two days a St. Louis netminder assisted on a goal. St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington had an assist in a 7-5 victory the night before in the NHL.

St. Louis didn’t let off the gas heading into the half. In the first minute of first half stoppage time Hartel put a shot off the post.

Coming out of the break, CITY picked up where they left off. Forcing FC Tulsa goalkeeper Jacomen to make a diving save, the momentum from which almost carried him with the ball into the back of the net. An embarrassing goal was avoided when Jacomen kept the ball in front of the line and pushed it out to a friendly player.

St. Louis would not be denied additional goals. In the 61st minute, Joyner and Hartel lined up over a free kick for CITY. Joyner stepped up and drove a clean strike around the wall for the third goal of the game. It would have been a safe bet to assume that veteran player Hartel would take the shot, but a last second decision meant that the young Joyner got a chance.

“I was very confident to shoot from this position,” said Hartel. “Then I laid the ball on the ground, and I saw the goalkeeper was cheating a bit too much in my opinion. And then Mykhi (Joyner) asked me to shoot.”

“I saw the wall kind of tucked over a little too far and the goalie’s placement as well. I kinda saw his feet to the left more, the goalie’s left, so I asked ,” added Joyner.

A game that started off quite physical got even more so as the CITY lead grew and Tulsa felt the walls closing in on them. In the 65th minute, Lucas Stauffer dug the Tulsa hole deeper when he was shown a straight red after he pulled a CITY player down by the jersey in a denial of an obvious goal scoring opportunity.

The final nail in the coffin would come from Tomáš Ostrák, who struck an absolute rocket from well outside the penalty area to give St. Louis their fourth and final goal. It was Ostrák’s first game back with CITY after suffering an injury in the preseason.

“It was awesome. I was very happy that I received a chance from the coach. It was big privilege to jump in this game. I am very happy that I scored my first goal and that I helped my team advance to the next round,” said Ostrák.

As the end of the game drew near and the result was not in doubt the fans could smell blood in the water. In the 85th minute, a chant of “We want tacos” rang out from the supporter section. The chant is a reference to a partnership the St. Louis Blues have with local bar Hotshots, wherein if the Blues score five goals tacos cost only one dollar the next day. This marked the second soccer/hockey crossover of the evening.

While the fans didn’t get a fifth goal and the subsequent discount tacos, they did get a shout out from coach Damet after the game. Because of an incoming severe weather alert, CITY was not able to do their tradition of walking around the stadium and clapping for the fans.

“I just wanted to mention the fans tonight, thank the fans that came out tonight for the game. It was great to see a lot of them out and supporting the team. We didn’t get a chance to do a round on the pitch because of the weather,” Damet said.

In what could be seen as a statement of intent, St. Louis CITY SC sent out a lineup consisting of primarily regular players. They also notably started their primary keeper Burki as opposed to backup Ben Lundt, who has served as an Open Cup keeper for CITY in years past. With a resounding win and lineup that showed their resolve CITY looks to make a deep run in the Open Cup this year.

“We want to show that we take it serious, that we want to go to the next round. It’s five games to win, to get a trophy and today was the first step,” said Hartel.

St. Louis will get a chance to prove their seriousness in two weeks when they travel north on I-55 to the “Windy City” and take on the Chicago Fire in the Round of 16.

2025 US Open Cup Round 5: Markanich’s late goals gives Minnesota United comeback win over St. Louis CITY

May 22, 2025 by Ashle Lynn Paige

Minnesota United defender Anthony Markanich (13) celebrates after scoring the game winning goal during the 2025 US Open Cup Round of 16 match against St. Louis CITY. Photo: Steffenhagen Photography - Northland Soccer Journal — Minnesota United defender Anthony Markanich (13) celebrates after scoring the game winning goal during the 2025 US Open Cup Round of 16 match against St. Louis CITY. Photo: Steffenhagen Photography – Northland Soccer Journal

Minnesota United FC and St. Louis City SC faced off on Wednesday night in one of the most dramatic games of the US Open Cup that did not end in penalties or extra time. After the Loons scored an early goal, they coasted for the remainder of the first half. St. Louis came roaring back in the second half with two goals and looked poised to take home a victory and their first win over an MLS side since March 15. At the end of the night it was two late goals from Minnesota wingback Anthony Markanich that made the difference and sent the Loons to the Quarterfinals.

Both clubs entered the contest with completely different philosophies on resting players and starting lineups. MNUFC brought in a hefty seven changes from Saturday’s showing against St. Louis. City only swapped out three players from their lineup in the 3-0 blowout loss to Minnesota United.

“Well, we’ve got a small squad. I’m conscious of how the summer months went last year, and I want to make sure that we’re very disciplined in making changes where we need to make changes, and we keep what is the biggest focus in mind,” said Minnesota manager Eric Ramsey.

Early on it appeared that Ramsey’s style was winning out as the Loons started out once again dominating St. Louis as they had on Saturday night. Just 10 minutes into the showing Julian Gressel sent in a cross that Kelvin Yeboah touched home with a no-look back heel, breaking an eight match scoreless streak for Yeboah.

“It’s always good to contribute for the team, so I’m glad that we ended up winning the game,” Yeboah said following the match.

A few yellow cards later, with one going to St. Louis City’s Chris Durkin and one to Minnesota’s Carlos Harvey, the match appeared for a few fleeting moments to be heading into extremely chippy territory. Outside an objectively bad tackle in the 42nd minute which ended in a yellow card to Markanich, that never ended up happening.

The Loons continued dominating the first half getting multiple chances, including forcing St. Louis goalkeeper Roman Bürki to make a huge diving save to keep the match at 1-0 Minnesota. When the halftime whistle sounded the Loons and St. Louis each had six shots but only Minnesota had any on target.

At the start of the second half each side made a few changes, hoping to have the second half go their way. Eric Ramsey brought on DJ Taylor and Michael Boxall to replace Nicolás Romero & Carlos Harvey for MNUFC, while Olof Mellberg brough Akil Watts on to replace Jannes Horn. From there the tide swung rapidly in favour of St. Louis City.

Ten minutes into the second half St. Louis finally got a shot on target and scored as Marcel Hartel headed home a cross sent in from Timo Baumgartl. Eleven minutes after that first goal, from near the eighteen Hartel sent in a cross to the far side of the six yard box, where João Klauss hammered home a header past Wessel Speel to give St. Louis a 2-1 lead with 25 minutes to play.

“We wanted to be a little bit more direct, have more bodies in the middle, and for the crosses and for the second balls,” said St. Louis City manager Olof Mellberg. “I thought that worked well. And again, a really nice couple of goals, and we had a really good period at that time.”

From there on the match was entirely in control by St. Louis City and even four more substitutions by Minnesota didn’t appear to give them any sort of control on the match. St. Louis had countered with four substitutions of their own and while the Loons would end up holding an advantage in shots, shots on target, and corners; late into the match it appeared all for naught as St. Louis was well on their way to a victory and a spot in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Quarterfinals.

A missed shot for St. Louis from Cedric Teuchert in the 84th minute ended up being their undoing. One minute later Kelvin Yeboah broke open and struck a hard shot forcing Roman Bürki to make a huge save to keep the lead for St. Louis. In the 85th Anthony Markanich scored to get the Loons their first goal since 10 minutes into the match and level the match at two-all.

Tani Oluwaseyi of Minnesota United dribbles around St. Louis CITY goalkeeper Roman Bürki in the Fifth Round of the 2025 US Open Cup. Photo: Tim McLaughlin - Northland Soccer Journal — Tani Oluwaseyi of Minnesota United dribbles around St. Louis CITY goalkeeper Roman Bürki in the Fifth Round of the 2025 US Open Cup. Photo: Tim McLaughlin – Northland Soccer Journal

With extra time staring everyone in the face, Minnesota United and St. Louis put themselves into overdrive. Tani Oluwaseyi scorched the St. Louis defense and sent a hard shot on goal that easily beat Bürki, but with inches to spare before it crossed the line, Joshua Yaro kicked the ball out of touch.

The ensuing corner was sent in from Joaquín Pereyra and was immediately headed home by Anthony Markanich, earning himself a brace and what ended up being the match winning goal.

“It was awesome, especially with a brace. I think that was my first time professionally, and since I was a little kid, that I scored a brace, Markanich said. “I definitely didn’t want to go to overtime. I was tired, so happy.”

After the goal St. Louis managed only one more chance at goal before the final whistle sounded, with Marcel Hartel missing a shot he took from outside the box, five minutes into stoppage time.

With the win, Minnesota United advances to the Quarter-Finals for only the second time in club history. The last time they did that was in 2019 where they ultimately landed in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Final, falling to Atlanta United in that championship final.

2025 US Open Cup Round 4: St. Louis CITY wins rematch with Union Omaha

May 8, 2025 by Matt Baker

Joseph Zalinsky of St. Louis CITY SC celebrates after scoring a goal against Union Omaha in the Fourth Round of the 2025 US Open Cup. Photo: St. Louis CITY SC

In a rematch of a 2023 Third Round US Open Cup draw, St. Louis CITY SC defeated Union Omaha, 2-0 Wednesday night in Round 4 of the 2025 Cup, to win a second straight over its USL League One foes.

It was a match that was dominated in most phases by St. Louis but they continuously came up short of a finish eventually saw the difference maker occur. After a free kick cleaned up by debutant Joey Zalinsky in the 68th minute ended up being the match-winner for St. Louis. It was Zalinsky’s first career start and first professional goal for St. Louis.

“It was insane. I couldn’t ask for much more. First professional goal, first start with fans that are amazing. I was so happy,” Zalinsky said, who was a Second Round pick for St. Louis in the 2025 SuperDraft. “I had three previous chances so I thought one of these have to go in. … I didn’t think I had enough power behind it and thought it was going wide of the post. I was shocked at first.”

St. Louis didn’t rest on the night of firsts by Zalinsky, though, as Union Omaha had begun showing more aggression after falling behind, allowing the field to open up and on the other end of their player spectrum, CITY’s designated player Klauss found net in the 87th to seal the deal for the MLS side, 2-0.

Klauss’ finish came during a transition after St. Louis forced a turnover in the Omaha attacking end, getting the ball to a fresh legged Cedric Teuchert who played Klauss in the left channel and between a couple of defenders, Klauss buried a shot in the lower right corner to put CITY SC up 2-0.

“This was a must-win game and a Cup that we want to take serious but at the same time it wasn’t pretty,” Klauss said. “A lot of things to improve and we have to go to the training field and get better.”

It took a while for this Round of 32 match to open up, as neither team seemed comfortable in the attacking third during the first half. St. Louis, in a rare feat given their MLS play, dominated with 66% of the possession during the first half and outshot Omaha, 10-3.

Each team had their share of chances generated as Célio Pompeu and Xande Silva showed their danger on the wings for CITY in 1v1 opportunities while Max Schneider, a former St. Louis CITY2 player during the 2022-2023 seasons, had the best chances for Omaha in both the run of play and from a corner kick against his former organization.

In the waning minutes of an otherwise uneventful first half, St. Louis saw a scary moment as midfielder Alfredo Morales went down in the 42nd minute with a non-contact injury. He gave way to Conrad Wallem, who entered and played the rest of the game in Morales’ midfield position. After the match, St. Louis head coach Olof Mellberg gave an update on Morales.

“I don’t think he’s ok, it could be some kind of strain but we’ll have to see tomorrow,” Mellberg said.

The second half started with a couple of dueling subs as St. Louis brought on Eduard Löwen for Tomas Ostrák, a move characterized by Mellberg as due to Ostrák feeling, “a little tight in his groin.” Union Omaha used the half to sub on defender Anderson Holt for Samuel Owusu.

In the 58th minuute, after a few chances generated by St. Louis, Omaha made two more attacking changes, bringing on their No. 9, Mehdi Ouamri and midfielder Sergio Ors Navarro for Josue Gomez and Kemy Amiche. It would prove eventful in the middle half of the period but there were fireworks for the home side before that.

St. Louis CITY SC subbed its third player of the game in the 63rd as Teuchert entered for Xande Silva and in the 68th, Zalinsky broke the scoreless draw with his heroics for the home crowd that began to open the game up a bit more after St. Louis went up 1-0.

Shortly after this, St. Louis made a couple more changes in the 74th as they brought on Klauss and left-footed defender Jannes Horn for Simon Becher and Zalinsky.

Union Omaha began to press higher and show more aggression than they had up until this point and it resulted in some of their more dangerous opportunities.

“In the second half we had a bad spell for 10 minutes when we were 1-0 up and they were close to scoring,” Mellberg said. “Wasn’t happy with that period.”

This period was most notable as in the 79th Union Omaha generated a sequence into the final third and earned a corner off of a cross into the box. This corner resulted in a Ouamri shot on goal, his first of three chances.

Ouamri followed it up with a bicycle kick chance just four minutes later, shot directly into the arms of CITY SC goalkeeper Ben Lundt. Shortly after, Union Omaha made its final sub of the game, bringing on Mark Bronnik for Brandon Knapp in the 84th minute.

The final blow of the game came athree minutes later when Klauss, having just entered the game, received a drop off pass from Teuchert in transition after a Union Omaha turnover in the opposite end, and had a clinical finish in the lower right corner that put St. Louis up 2-0.

For Union Omaha, their 2025 US Open Cup run comes to an end having defeated three opponents including USL Championship side San Antonio FC. They will next return home to USL League One play on Saturday against Portland Hearts of Pine.

St. Louis earns their second-ever US Open Cup win, both having come against Union Omaha, and now move on to the Round of 16 to face Minnesota United, which defeated Louisville City. This matchup has the unique opportunity to see these clubs face each other twice in less than a week later this month, with both matches being in Minnesota.

On that possibility, Mellberg said, “it’s a little bit of a strange run. You see it in Champions League legs, but when it’s two different tournaments it doesn’t happen as often.”

2023 US Open Cup Round 4: Frank Klopas returns to lead Chicago Fire to win over St. Louis CITY

May 10, 2023 by Adnan Basic

Maren Haile-Selassie of the Chicago Fire FC celebrates after scoring a goal against St. Louis CITY SC in the 2023 US Open Cup. Photo: Chicago FIre FC

It was a historic night at Bridgeview on Tuesday as the Chicago Fire beat St. Louis CITY SC 2-1 in the first-ever meeting between the two sides to book their place in the Round of 16 of the 2023 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

Chicago took the lead after just two-and-a-half minutes. A long ball bounced over the opposing backline, and it fell right into the path of Maren Haile-Selassie. It seemed like the angle was too tight, but he had a bit of luck on his side as his strike deflected off a defender before looping over the goalkeeper and into the back of the net.

“We started the game very well, and that set the tone for the full 90 minutes,” said Chicago defender Wyatt Omsberg. “Our start was very important, and we won a lot of first and second balls to set the tone.

They continued to control proceedings early on, but St. Louis started to grow into the game. They really should have tied things up in the 15th minute when Jared Stroud was left unmarked on a corner, but he scuffed his first-time attempt from close range.

Maren Haile-Selassie.

That’s it. That’s the tweet. pic.twitter.com/AAkoIx33G7
— Chicago Fire FC (@ChicagoFire) May 10, 2023

The contest ebbed-and-flowed until the end of the first half, and that pattern continued to start the second. A big chance came as Miguel Navarro broke free on the counter, but his attempt was hit too close to the goalkeeper.

St. Louis then had their best opportunity soon after. Célio Pompeu danced into the area, and he set himself up for a superb shooting opportunity. However, he was denied by Mauricio Pineda, who heroically got across to make the block.

The next goal finally came with 15 minutes to go, and it was scored by the hosts. Goalkeeper Ben Lundt lost control of the ball at his feet, which allowed Brian Gutiérrez to poke it to Fabian Herbers. From there it was all too easy, as the German converted from close range to double his side’s lead.

how bout that ???? pic.twitter.com/nl5aYjl6gz
— Chicago Fire FC (@ChicagoFire) May 10, 2023

“It was kind of a messy ball in,” said midfielder Fabian Herbers. “They played it under pressure to their goalkeeper, who took a bit of a longer touch. Guti was able to steal it and pass it to me, and I didn’t have too much work left to do, just pass it into the empty net.”

St. Louis tried to respond, and they even pulled a goal back through Miguel Perez in stoppage time, but it wasn’t enough. Chicago held on to secure the win, booking their spot in the next round of the competition as a result.

“The team played great today. There was a team spirit, they fought to the end, we grew stronger toward the end, and we found a way,” said head coach Frank Klopas, who scored the golden goal in the 1998 US Open Cup Final for the Chicago Fire. “So, this was a really difficult match. We came out ahead and we’re not going to expect any of the other ones to be any easier.”

“We didn’t play super pretty today, but we put in the work and showed the fans what the team is about and that we still have a little fire left in us,” said Herbers.

The contest was also the first match for interim-head coach Frank Klopas, who returned to take over the team following Ezra Hendrickson’s firing on Monday morning.

“It was difficult because when you’re in this business, you know, I’ve been there on the other side, so I know what it feels like,” said Klopas, who will patrol the sidelines for the Fire for the third time. “And for me, the only thing that I really focused on was being very clear with certain things to the team. Give them confidence, give them belief, and let them come out and show that on the field. And the most important thing was just to compete and leave everything on the field.”

“Frank is super passionate. He loves the club, he wants the best for the club. It was more about his motivation and less about his tactics,” said Herbers. “It was about our fight, and I think he did a good job transmitting his passion.”

“In some ways it was kind of nice to just be like ‘alright we’ve got a game, let’s just turn the page and focus on the game,’” said Omsberg. “I think all the players at the club are so comfortable with Frank and the rest of the staff that we know we’ll be in safe hands.”

Chicago has often stated how much they care about the Open Cup, and they proved it tonight by naming a first-choice starting lineup for the contest. It was enough to earn a spot in the Round of 16, and now everyone at the club has their eyes set on continuing their run in the tournament.

“We’ve always put, as a club, a big emphasis on the Open Cup. You know, I talked to the team a little tactically but I also had the video team put together a little video for the players to understand what this means to us,” said Klopas. “I told the guys the journey has started already, this is the second game. I said, ‘Hey, let’s make history and lift one cup together.’”

2023 US Open Cup Round 3: Record crowd watches St. Louis CITY crush Union Omaha in USOC debut

April 28, 2023 by Justin Horneker

Players from St. Louis CITY SC and Union Omaha battle for the ball during their match in the 2023 US Open Cup. Photo: Will Bramlett @YBrammer

Not many cities appreciate the US Open Cup like St. Louis. With more than 100 years of history, and now an Open Cup Third Round attendance record to add to its storied past as 22,423 at CityPark had much to celebrate as St. Louis City SC soared past Union Omaha, 5-1.

It was City’s first appearance in the storied competition and one that they have been looking forward to.

Count’em ⚽️ ⚽️ ⚽️ ⚽️ ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/REe30Bouzf
— St Louis CITY SC (@stlCITYsc) April 26, 2023

“We spoke to the group this week about what this tournament means to the city of St. Louis,” St. Louis manager Bradley Carnell said. “We wanted to head into this game with intensity and a lot of bravery.”

St. Louis’ intensity was instantly noticeable as Aziel Jackson scored in the third minute, a left-footed shot from the outside of the box to the bottom left corner.

Carnell wanted his squad to keep up the pressure but Union Omaha held back St. Louis for the rest of the first half. Omaha tested St. Louis at times but the scoreline was largely due to the performance of Omaha keeper Rashid Nuhu. His eight saves in the game kept it within striking distance, but that wouldn’t last long.

Three minutes into the second half, Célio Pompeo drove into the box and sent a powerful ball toward Nuhu’s back post. Midfielder Joe Gallardo successfully blocked the cross, but the deflection resulted in an own-goal against Gallardo.

St. Louis CITY SC had an announced attendance of 22,423 at CITYPARK in St. Louis, MO. against Union Omaha in the 2023 US Open Cup. It broken the Modern Era (1995-present) record for attendance. Photo: Kevin Hall

With a two-goal lead, St. Louis continued to pressure Omaha’s backline, resulting in 23 shot attempts.

St. Louis benefited from strong performances everywhere on the field.

“Every time we put the ball in dangerous places, good things happen,” Célio said. “We love playing like that.”

Célio stayed involved, this time setting up Akil Watts for his first-ever City goal, a right-footed shot from the right side of the box to the high center of the goal. Watts also had a productive match, completing 42 passes throughout the match along with six passes into the final third.

Aziel Jackson continued his man-of-the-match performance by securing a brace in the 66th minute with a left-footed shot from the center of the box to the bottom right corner.

Union Omaha hurt St. Louis though, grabbing a goal and cutting the score to 4-1 from a Pedro Dolabella left-footed shot from the right side of the six-yard box to the bottom right corner.

St. Louis slammed the door shut with a fifth goal in the 88th minute, as a newly substituted Eduard Löwen cut through Omaha defenders en route to easily finding the bottom corner of the goal behind Nuhu.

“Yeah, it was really special,” Jackson said of the win.