2026 US Open Cup

2026 US Open Cup Semifinals: Santiago Rodriguez of Columbus Crew voted TheCup.us Player of Round

October 3, 2026 by Tyler Fisher

Photo: Mathieu Starke – Starke_Photo | Graphic: Frank Lanham

Santiago Rodríguez has been named TheCup..us Player of the Round following his standout performance in the Columbus Crew’s 2-1 victory over Orlando City SC in the Semifinals of the 2026 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

Rodríguez played a direct role in both of Columbus’ goals, recording two assists as the Crew booked their place in the US Open Cup Final for the first time since 2010. He becomes the first Columbus player in history to win Player of the Round honors.

Rodriguez was the runaway winner of the award, followed by St. Louis CITY’s Simon Becher in second place, followed by CITY goalkeeper Roman Burki.

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.

The Uruguayan midfielder wasted little time making an impact.

* Join our Patreon team!
* 2027 USOC Qualifying Schedule/Results
* 2026 USOC Schedule/Results
* 2026 USOC Stat Leaders
* 2026 USOC Player of the Round winners
* 1995 USOC Rewind Series

* Subscribe to our newsletter!
* Follow TheCup.us on X (@USOpenCup)
* Follow TheCup.us on BlueSky
* Follow TheCup.us on Facebook
* Follow TheCup.us on Instagram
* Contact us HERE

In the ninth minute, Rodríguez delivered an in-swinging cross into the penalty area following a Columbus corner. Josef Martínez found the service at the back post and calmly finished to give the Crew an early 1-0 advantage.

Orlando responded before halftime through Martín Ojeda, but Rodríguez once again provided the difference after the break.

Seven minutes into the second half, Rodríguez slipped a lofted ball into the penalty area for Brais Méndez, who timed his run perfectly before finishing first-time from inside the box to restore Columbus’ lead.

The assist was Rodríguez’s first for the Crew in just his fourth appearance since joining the club during the summer transfer window. He finished the semifinal with four shots, one shot on target and five crosses while playing the full 90 minutes.

More importantly, both of his assists directly contributed to the Crew advancing to the championship match.

Support TheCup.us and its coverage of the US Open Cup by purchasing a "We Want The Cup" shirt in your team's colors. Visit THECUP.US SHOP - Columbus Crew — Support TheCup.us and its coverage of the US Open Cup by purchasing a “We Want The Cup” shirt in your team’s colors. Visit THECUP.US SHOP

Rodríguez’s performance also highlighted the immediate influence Columbus hoped to receive when it acquired the 26-year-old from Botafogo. Alongside Méndez and Martínez, Rodríguez has become part of a revamped Columbus attack tasked with providing more creativity and production during the second half of the season.

The Crew will now have the opportunity to finish the job on Oct. 21, when Columbus hosts St. Louis CITY SC in the US Open Cup Final.

For Rodríguez, his Player of the Round recognition adds another milestone to what has already been an important start to his Columbus career.

Two assists against Orlando did more than earn individual recognition.

They helped put the Crew 90 minutes away from another trophy.

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.

“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.

Support TheCup.us and its coverage of the US Open Cup by purchasing a “We Want The Cup” shirt in your team’s colors. Visit THECUP.US SHOP

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 Semifinals: Columbus Crew beat Orlando City, reach 1st USOC Final in 16 years

September 17, 2026 by Tyler Fisher

Steven Moreira of the Columbus Crew reacts during Wednesday's 2026 US Open Cup Semifinal against Orlando City SC. Photo: Mathieu Starke - Starke_Photo — Steven Moreira of the Columbus Crew reacts during Wednesday’s 2026 US Open Cup Semifinal against Orlando City SC. Photo: Mathieu Starke – Starke_Photo

The Columbus Crew are one win away from lifting the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup for the first time in nearly a quarter century.

Columbus defeated Orlando City SC 2-1 Wednesday night at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field, overcoming an equalizer before halftime, and held on through the second half to book its place in the club’s first US Open Cup Final since 2010.

With the win, the Crew will host the tournament’s championship game for the first time since 2002, when they lifted the trophy named after the club’s original owner, Lamar Hunt. They will take on first-time finalists St. Louis CITY SC on Oct. 21.

It was a night that gave the Crew something that has been hard to find in the 2026 MLS campaign: a complete result when the stakes were highest.

Columbus wasted little time establishing a presence.

In the ninth minute, Santiago Rodriguez delivered a dangerous ball toward the back post following a Crew corner. Josef Martinez found himself in the right place at the right time, finishing the chance to give Columbus an early 1-0 lead.

For Martinez, it was his first goal since joining the Crew during the summer transfer window. It was the fifth career US Open Cup goal for the Venezuelan star, who is seeking his second US Open Cup title (2019 Atlanta United). The last time he scored a goal in the tournament was in the 2023 US Open Cup Final with Inter Miami CF.

Orlando, however, gradually worked its way back into the match.

Josef Martinez of the Columbus Crew avoids a tackle against Orlando City SC in the 2026 US Open Cup Semifinals. Photo: Carlos Hernandez-Chavez - Black Cat Photography — Josef Martinez of the Columbus Crew avoids a tackle against Orlando City SC in the 2026 US Open Cup Semifinals. Photo: Carlos Hernandez-Chavez – Black Cat Photography

The Lions found their equalizer in the 40th minute when Martin Ojeda collected a pass from Justin Ellis near the top of the penalty area and fired a low shot beyond Columbus goalkeeper Nicholas Hagen.

The goal leveled the teams at halftime, 1-1, leaving the Crew with another 45 minutes to find a way through.

They didn’t have to wait long.

Just seven minutes into the second half, Rodriguez once again provided the dead ball.

The Uruguayan midfielder floated a ball into the penalty area, finding Brais Mendez running into space. Mendez met the service first-time from inside the box, beat Orlando goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau, and restored Columbus’ lead.

It was Mendez’s fifth goal in all competitions since joining the Black & Gold, while Rodriguez ended the night with two assists.

Orlando City’s offense suffered a blow just a couple minutes after Columbus’ go-ahead goal when the Lions’ biggest summer signing, Antoine Griezmann, was subbed off due to injury. He was replaced by the club’s other big summer signing, US international Daryl Dike.

The last 35 minutes of the game were very physical, but the Crew’s defense keep the Lions off the scoreboard to secure the club’s fourth straight tournament win, 2-1.

“For me personally, it’s really a special moment,” said Crew head coach Laurent Courtois. “I hope we will make it a special moment for the club, but we have a lot of games before .”

The Crew have advanced to their first Open Cup final since 2010 and will host the championship match on Oct. 21 against St. Louis CITY SC.

2026 US Open Cup Semifinals Preview: After World Cup delay, final four ready to square off

September 14, 2026 by Chuck Nolan Jr.

Photo: Orlando City SC | Graphic: Frank Lanham

After a long summer break for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the 2026 US Open Cup is ready to resume.

On one side you have two former Open Cup Champions looking for another title in the Columbus Crew and Orlando City SC.

On the other, St. Louis CITY seeks to restore Open Cup glory to a city that once was a regular participant in the Final. Their opponents are the Colorado Rapids, a team trying to reach the Final for the first time since 1999, and put an end to years of Open Cup failure.

The winner of Orlando City / Columbus will host the 111th US Open Cup Final on Oct. 21.

Below you will find a preview of both Semifinal matches:

SEPTEMBER 16
Columbus Crew (MLS)
vs.
Orlando City SC (MLS)
ScottsMiracle-Gro Field – Columbus, OH
Kickoff: 7 p.m. ET
WATCH: Paramount+ / CBS Sports Network

The Columbus Crew, looking to return to the Open Cup Final for the first time in 17 years and claim their first championship since 2002, host Orlando City SC, a club who won the Open Cup in their one-and-only championship game appearance in 2022.

PREVIOUS MEETINGS

Orlando and Columbus met once this year in league play, playing to a 1-1 draw back on April 12 in Columbus. Orlando took a 1-0 lead in the 13th minute. After working the ball up field with a series of passes, Tiago Souza found Marco Pašalić in the middle of the penalty area, and the Croatian beat goalkeeper Patrick Schulte with a shot near the post.

Orlando held the lead until the 80th minute when Taha Habroune and Diego Rossi teamed up for a give-and-go, with Rossi finishing with a shot to the back of the net.

The Crew and Lions have met just once in the Open Cup, in the 2015 Round of 16, in Orlando’s first MLS season. Brazilian legend Kaká made his Orlando City debut and gave his new team a 1-0 lead after Darwin Ceres stole the ball from a Crew defender, passing to Kaká who beat Crew goalkeeper Brad Stuver. The goal came a minute after Kaká’s free kick goal was nullified for offside.

Thirteen minutes later Carlos Rivas pushed the lead to 2-0 when a loose ball fell to his feet, allowing Rivas to smash a one-time shot past Stuver. In the previous round against the Charleston Battery, Rivas became the first Modern Era player to score three penalty kick goals in a single game

ROAD TO THE QUARTERFINALS

Columbus Crew

After a two-year absence from the Open Cup, the Crew easily defeated the Richmond Kickers of USL League One, 3-0. Hugo Picard scored the first two Crew goals in the 42nd and 63rd minutes, and Jamal Thiaré finished with a 73rd minute goal.

To get to the Quarterfinals, Columbus dispatched 2025 USL League One champions One Knoxville 4-1. Early on, it seemed like Knoxville would be hard to handle as they tied the game one minute after Hugo Picard’s 10th minute goal. Picard scored again 13 minutes later to give the Crew a 2-1 halftime lead, then midway through the second half Dániel Gazdag and Chase Adams scored to put the game out of reach.

Columbus secured their spot in the Semifinals with a 1-0 win over New York City FC at Columbus. The lone goal came in the 59th minute when Nariman Akhundzada found Arfsten in space and finished past NYCFC goalkeeper Matt Freese.

Orlando City SC

With the lack of VAR until the Quarterfinals, Orlando City survived a possible upset bid by USL League One’s FC Naples and left with a 1-0 win. Tyrese Spicer scored the lone goal in the 17th minute, but it was in the 70th minute that controversy arose. After a corner kick, a shot from Naples’ Dominick Bachstein appeared to cross the line, but the referee disallowed it. With no VAR in place until the Quarterfinals, Orlando City were able to survive despite being outshot 20-17 by their lower league opponents.

Orlando went from a one-goal squeaker to a seven-goal pinball game in their 4-3 Round of 16 win over the New England Revolution. Orlando City recovered from one-goal deficits three times on goals from Lago Teodoro (31’), Griffin Dorsey (39’) and Justin Ellis (70’). Finally, two minutes into stoppage time Orlando City grabbed the lead when Tyrese Spicer fired a pass to Zakaria Taifi for a point blank shot on goal.

In the Quarterfinals, Orlando blew by their Southern rivals Atlanta United 4-1. The Lions started early with a 4th minute goal from David Brekalo, who headed home a cross from Braian Ojeda. In the 11th minute, it was 2-0 Orlando after Griffin Dorsey tapped in a low cross from Ivan Angulo. The score grew to 4-0 by halftime through a pair of goals from Tiago Souza. In the 24th minute Tiago took advantage of a fumbled clearance from goalkeeper Jayden Hibbert to easily score the third goal. In first half stoppage time, Tiago took a long through ball from Ojeda and easily scored. Latte Lath ruined the clean sheet for Orlando goalkeeper Javier Otero with an 84th minute goal.

LAST APPEARANCE IN THE SEMIFINALS

Columbus Crew

The last Semifinal appearance for Columbus was 16 years ago when the Crew topped D.C. United 2-1 after extra time in the 2010 US Open Cup. D.C. went up 1-0 on a 13th minute penalty by Pablo Hernandez, who was later sent off in the 59th minute. The Crew dramatically drew level in the 89th minute when Andy Iro’s shot deflected off United defender Matthew Burch for an own goal. In extra time Guillermo Barros Schelotto scored on a penalty kick in the 98th minute.

Columbus would go on to lose to Seattle Sounders in the Final 2-1 in what would be the second of Seattle’s three-straight Open Cup titles.

Orlando City SC

Of the four Semifinalists, Orlando has reached this point more recently. In 2022 made their second straight appearance in the final four, thrashing New York Red Bulls 5-1 on their way to winning their only Open Cup Championship.

After the Red Bulls took a 1-0 lead in first half stoppage time, the rest was all Orlando. The Lions tied the game just a couple minutes after the Red Bulls goal when Cesar Araujo scored off a corner kick. In the second half, the floodgates opened with goals from Mauricio Pereyra (47’), Araujo (62’), Facundo Torres (75’)

CURRENT FORM

Columbus Crew

Columbus has been stagnant since the Quarterfinals in May with just three wins and one draw in the 11 MLS games since then. A 3-0 record in the opening stage of the Leagues Cup was followed by seven losses in their last eight games across all competitions. Diego Rossi leads the team with six followed by Wessam Abou Ali with five. Dylan Chambost, Max Afsten and Mohamed Farsi share the assist lead with four each.

Orlando City SC

Since the Quarterfinals, Orlando has moved from just outside the playoff field to 6th place in the Eastern Conference. They are the only club in either conferences’ top 7 with a negative goal difference, allowing 12 more goals than they’ve scored. Orlando is 6-2-2 since the World Cup break and are currently on a five-game unbeaten run. Martin Ojreda leads the way with 11 goals, followed by French star Antione Griezman, who has 8 goals after just 10. Justin Ellis and Ivan Angulo are the clubs assist leaders with 10 and 9 respectively.

The Columbus Crew celebrate their 2002 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup championship at Crew Stadium with the late Lamar Hunt, who the tournament is named after. | Photo: Columbus Crew

Columbus Crew
Major League Soccer | Columbus, OH
23rd US Open Cup appearance
How they qualified: Automatic Bid
Founded: 1996
Manager: Henrik Rydström
Overall: 28-18-3 (0-3 PK)
Home: 17-6-2 (0-2 PK)
vs. MLS: 10-12-2 (0-2 PK)
Best finish: Champions (2002)

Outside of the Crew’s three Open Cup finals appearances (1998, 2002 and 2010) and lifting the trophy in 2002, Columbus’ Open Cup history is not that great. They hold the third-longest streak in the Modern Era in exiting the tournament after two or fewer games (10, 2011-2022). The Crew return to the Open Cup after a two-year absence, and their last appearance in 2023 broke that string of 10 tournaments where they exited after one or two games.

Orlando City SC
Major League Soccer | Orlando, FL
15th US Open Cup appearance
How they qualified: Automatic Bid
Founded: 2010
Manager: Martín Perelman (interim)
Overall: 25-13-5 (5-0 PK) | 13-7-5 (5-0 PK) as MLS
Away: 15-5-3 (3-0 PK) | 6-4-3 (3-0 PK) as MLS
vs. MLS: 10-8-2 (2-0 PK) | 7-3-2 (2-0 PK) as MLS
Best finish: Champion (2022)

Orlando City started in 2010 as a USL club, winning USL Pro championships in 2011 and 2013, and finished first or second overall in all four years in the league. In 2015, the club joined MLS but has yet to find consistent league success.

Orlando City SC celebrate the 2022 US Open Cup championship after a 3-0 win over the Sacramento Republic. Photo: Mathieu Starke

Orlando City have tasted Open Cup success since their debut as a USL club in 2009, their best run coming in 2013 when they reached the Quarterfinals and upset the Colorado Rapids and Sporting Kansas City along the way. The highlight was the Sporting KC upset when Orlando was forced to play without four key players (including star forward Dom Dwyer), who were loaned to them by Kansas City. Even without those players, they still pulled off the cupset on the road. Open Cup glory continued in their MLS years, reaching the Semifinals in 2019, then finally winning it all in 2022.

SEPTEMBER 16

Colorado Rapids (MLS)
vs.
St. Louis CITY SC (MLS)
DICK’s Sporting Goods Park – Commerce City, CO
WATCH: Paramount+ / CBS Sports Network
Kickoff : 9:30 p.m. ET

St. Louis CITY SC will attempt to not only reach their first ever Open Cup Final but restore cup glory to one of the United States’ historic soccer cities. In their way are the Colorado Rapids, an MLS team who has historically been one of the most inept top tier clubs in the Modern Era.

After losing the 1999 US Open Cup Final to the Rochester Ragin’ Rhinos (A-League), the Rapids began a record streak of 17 consecutive tournaments (2000-2022) where they failed to advance beyond a second game, with eight of those appearances ending after just one game.

PREVIOUS MEETINGS

Colorado and St. Louis have met twice this season, with CITY winning both games 1-0. The first contest was on May 9 at DICK’S Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, CO. South Korean international Jeong Sang-bin scored the game’s only goal in the 26th minute after collecting a long goal kick from goalkeeper Roman Bürki. In the 51st minute, the Rapids Rob Holding was shown a straight red card after fouling Simon Becher. With three minutes remaining, St. Louis were reduced to ten men when Chris Durkin earned his second yellow.

The rematch came after the World Cup break on July 25 at Energizer Park in St. Louis. Rob Holding earned another red card in the 12th minute after bringing down Jeong Sang-bin. St. Louis scored the winner in the 83rd minute when Tomas Ostrak received a header from Tomas Totland and scored from the top corner of the penalty area,

ROAD TO THE QUARTERFINALS

Colorado Rapids

The Rapids returned to the Open Cup after a two-year absence and came way with a 1-0 win over the always dangerous Union Omaha from USL League One. Dante Sealy recorded the game’s only goal in the 21st minute, and Colorado held on to advance to the Round of 16.

The Rapids were pushed to penalty kicks in getting past the USL Championship’s Colorado Springs Switchbacks. The teams traded first half goals, with Alexis Manyoma striking first for the Rapids in the 25th minute. A scoreless second half led to extra time, where Georgi Minoungou eventually put Colorado up 2-1 in the 114th minute, only to see the Switchbacks draw level with a 120th minute penalty kick. In the PK shootout, the Rapids made their first four but missed on the fifth, forcing sudden death. After trading misses on attempt No. 6, the Rapids’ Keegan Rosenberry made the seventh after Rapids goalkeeper Nico Hansen saved the Switchbacks attempt.

St. Louis CITY SC

St. Louis CITY had no trouble defeating the visiting FC Tulsa 4-0 in the Third Round. Marcel Hartel (20’) and Jeong Sang-bin (36’) put St. Louis up 2-0 at the half and Mykhi Joyner (61’) and Tomás Ostrák (78’) closed out the scoring in the second half.

St. Louis gained their first ever trip to the Quarterfinals by ousting rivals Chicago Fire 2-1 in the Round of 16. After going down 1-0 in the 61st minute, Eduard Löwen assisted on Tomas Totland’s game tying goal in the 71st minute, 12 minutes after coming on as a sub. Löwen then scored the go-ahead goal in the 78th minute. Lowen’s performance earned him a runner-up finish in the voting for TheCup.us Player of the Round.

LAST APPEARANCE IN THE SEMIFINALS

St. Louis CITY SC

While St. Louis CITY is making their debut in the Open Cup Semifinals, the last time ANY team from St. Louis reached this point was in 1988 when Busch Soccer Club defeated the NY Pancyprian Freedoms 3-2. Greg Makowski, long-time member of the Kansas City Comets and St. Louis Steamers indoor teams, scored twice and Gary Amlong added a goal in between Makowski’s. Busch would go on to win the Final over Greek American AC of San Francisco 2-1 after extra time.

Colorado Rapids

How long has it been since the Rapids last reached the Open Cup Semifinals? Only five players on their current roster (Zach Steffen, Rob Holding, Keegan Rosenberry, Youssef Maziz and Reggie Cannon) were born the last time Colorado reached the final four. In 1999, the Rapids made their second ever (and last) Semifinal appearance by defeating the A-League’s Charleston Battery 3-0.

Played at a neutral site in Virginia Beach, Virginia, the clubs played a scoreless opening half before Colorado put three on the board after the break, with Jorge Dely Valdés scoring in the 55th and 87th minute and Paul Bravo in the 82nd. Colorado’s run would end in infamy, as they would become the only MLS club to lose an Open Cup Final to a team a league below them, falling to the Rochester Ragin’ Rhinos 2-0.

CURRENT FORM

Colorado Rapids

Like St. Louis, Colorado has improved their league standing since the Quarterfinals, though not nearly as drastically. The Rapids went from just outside the playoff field to seventh place in the Western Conference, going 6-1-4 in that span. Their 33 goals scored in the bottom half of the league but they have recorded six clean sheets in the eleven games since the Quarterfinals. Rafael Navarro leads the Rapids with 10 goals and Paxton Aaronson’s six assists is one more than teammates Wayne Frederick and Dante Sealy.

St. Louis CITY FC

When St. Louis CITY headed into the Quarterfinals back in May, they were 3-6-4 and in next to last place in the Western Conference. What a difference a summer break can make. CITY is currently on a 15-game unbeaten streak, their last defeat coming back on May 3. The 10 wins and 5 draws now have St. Louis within two points of second place Houston. St. Louis has only managed three clean sheets during the unbeaten run however. Simon Becher and Marcel Hartel lead the team with 7 and 6 goals respectively, and Becher is one assist behind team leader Conrad Wallen’s 6.

Colorado Rapids
Major League Soccer | Commerce City, CO
22nd US Open Cup appearance
How they qualified: Automatic Bid
Founded: 1995
Manager: Matt Wells
Overall: 18-20-1 (0-1 PK)
Home: 11-2-1 (0-1 PK)
vs. MLS: 5-10-0
Best finish: Final (1999)

Colorado Rapids We Want The Cup shirt US Open Cup — Support TheCup.us and its coverage of the US Open Cup by purchasing a “We Want The Cup” shirt in your team’s colors. Visit THECUP.US SHOP

The Rapids are the most snakebit MLS team in terms of Open Cup success. You could call it the “Curse of the Foxes”, since the Rapids Open Cup debut in 1996 was replacing the A-League Colorado Foxes mid-tournament. The Foxes had five players called up by Jamaica for World Cup qualifying and withdrew when they couldn’t get their Quarterfinal game with the Kansas City Wizards rescheduled.

At 16-20-1, they are the only MLS club with more than 20 Open Cup games played to hold an overall record below .500. The Rapids hold the Modern Era record for most consecutive tournaments being eliminated after two or fewer games at 17 (2000-2022). While the Rapids have reached an Open Cup Final in 1999, they are the lone MLS team to lose the Final to a lower division club, the A- League Rochester Raging Rhinos.

In MLS play, the Rapids have won one MLS Cup Championship in 2010 and were playoff regulars in their early years. Recent seasons have been a struggle, missing the playoffs three of the last four seasons.

St. Louis CITY FC
Major League Soccer | St. Louis, MO
3rd US Open Cup appearance
How they qualified: Automatic Bid
Founded: 2023
Manager: Yoann Damet
Overall: 5-2-0
Away: 1-2-0
vs. MLS: 2-2-0
Best finish: Fifth Round / Round of 16 (2025)

In the Modern Era, St. Louis’ Open Cup record has been a bit more modest. The St. Louis Lions of the PDL (now USL League Two) appeared in 2008 and 2009, failing to win a game. AC St. Louis was the first pro team in the Modern Era, making just one run in 2010, reaching the Third Round.

The most successful club was Saint Louis FC of the USL, making five appearances from 2015-2019, making a run to the Quarterfinals in 2019, where they upset both the Chicago Fire (2-1) and FC Cincinnati (1-0) before losing to eventual champion Atlanta United FC 2-0.

The last St. Louis club to reach the Final was Busch SC in 1988. St. Louis was first represented in the Cup in 1920, with Ben Miller SC defeating Fore River FC 2-1 for the city’s first championship. St. Louis clubs would reach the final from 1920 to 1924.

Stix, Baer & Fuller (aka Central Breweries and Shamrocks SC) reached the Final six straight times from 1932-1937, a feat unmatched in Open Cup history.

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.

*Join our Patreon team!
* 2026 USOC Schedule/Results
* 2026 USOC Stat Leaders
* 2026 USOC Player of the Round winners
* 2026 USOC Qualifying
* 1995 USOC Rewind Series

* Subscribe to our newsletter!
* Follow TheCup.us on X (@USOpenCup)
* Follow TheCup.us on BlueSky
* Follow TheCup.us on Facebook
* Follow TheCup.us on Instagram
* Contact us HERE

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

TheCup.us award winners 2006-2025

“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: Colorado Rapids blank Earthquakes to reach first Semifinal since 1999

May 21, 2026 by Andrew Mosier

Darren Yepi of the Colorado Rapids celebrates after scoring a goal against the San Jose Earthquakes in the Quarterfinals of the 2026 US Open Cup. Photo: Colorado Rapids

For the first time since its inglorious 1999 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup run, the Colorado Rapids are through to the Semifinal round with a 2-0 win over San Jose Earthquakes at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.

Darren Yapi and Rafael Navarro scored goals in the waning minutes of the first half to put the Rapids through to host St. Louis CITY SC in the semifinal round the week of Sept. 15-16.

“It’s great to be in the semifinal, but of course we’re not satisfied with that,” Rapids head coach Matt Wells said. “We’ve got a lot of talent in our dressing room. This is where I expect us to be. This is the standard I want going forward.”

In the first quarter of an hour San Jose tested Rapids’ goalkeeper Nico Hansen three times, including twice from close range as the Rapids defenders struggled tracking the Quakes late runs into the box.

The Rapids answered—or thought it had—in the 22^nd minute after San Jose failed to fully clear a Paxten Aaronson free kick. Josh Atencio ran down the ball on the left wing and found Rafael Navarro at the far post. Navarro pushed the ball past the flailing Daniel at the far post.

After the pyrotechnic smoke had cleared referee Fotis Bazakos was summoned to the replay screen at midfield, where he determined that defender Rob Holding was offside on the initial free kick—without directly being involved with play—nullifying the goal. Unlike earlier Open Cup rounds, VAR was implemented in the quarterfinal round.

“It’s something we’re going to have to take a close look at,” Wells said. “Rob was in an offside position but not contesting for the ball.”

Already degenerating even before the VAR decision, the game further degenerated as both teams took turns knocking the other to the ground as Bazakos waived his yellow card at the back of the offending players. A total of five yellow cards were shown before all was said and done.

With five minutes to play in the first half Darren Yapi banged in a goal that VAR could not take away off a Dante Sealy cross that began with a short corner. Yapi did everything he needed to connect with Sealy’s driven cross a yard from goal to put the ball past Daniel, who was then hit with a bottle from the stands as he fished the ball out of the net. Daniel’s assailant was escorted out by Commerce City Police in handcuffs. The goal was Yapi’s first in Open Cup play.

“That was straight off the training ground,” Wells said. “It was a brilliant delivery from Dante .”

VAR gave the Rapids a second goalscoring opportunity eight minutes into first half added time when Bazakos whistled San Jose defender Reid Roberts for an awkward handling of the ball. Bazakos awarded the free kick just outside of the penalty area. After a long look, Bazakos awarded the Rapids a penalty kick after video showed Roberts was inside the ball when he handled the ball.

Captain for the night, Rafael Navarro took the ball and stood on the penalty spot while San Jose made the requisite protests, slotting his shot to Daniel’s right to put the Rapids up 2-0 ten minutes into second half added time.

“Rafael put in a great effort tonight, his selflessness, the way he helped the team,” Wells said. “It is a benchmark for him, to build and improve. When we do that, we’ve got a top player. It was a great performance for me.”

As the second half wore on it was clear it was not going to be San Jose’s night. The Rapids did all it needed to hold onto the lead—almost adding to it, making Daniel save from close range. When San Jose did have opportunities: shots were either skied over the crossbar or blasted well wide.

Colorado Rapids players celebrate with their fans after a 2-0 win over the San Jose Earthquakes in the Quarterfinals of the 2026 US Open Cup. Photo: Colorado Rapids

“We needed to suffer in the second half as a team,” Wells said. “Every single player was participating, focused, putting in the effort.”

With a quarter of an hour left San Jose made its last push, forcing Hanses to save twice to keep the scoresheet clean as a visibly frustrated Bruce Arena stood on the touchline with his hands in his pockets.

Wednesday night’s win was the Rapids’ first Open Cup win versus an MLS opponent in 20 years—a 1-0 win over Real Salt Lake in 2006. It snapped a seven-game losing streak against fellow MLS teams.

The Rapids will host St. Louis CITY SC in the Open Cup Semifinals at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park the week of Sept. 15-16. It will be the first Semifinal the Rapids have hosted in team history and the first time they have reached the final four since 1999, the year that they reached the championship game, but ultimately fell to the Rochester Raging Rhinos (A-League).

2026 US Open Cup Quarterfinals: Max Arfsten goal, solid defense leads Columbus Crew past NYCFC

May 21, 2026 by Tyler Fisher

Max Arfsten of the Columbus Crew dribbles the ball against New York City FC in the Quarterfinals of the 2026 US Open Cup. Photo: Carlos Hernandez – Black Cat Photography – IG @black_catphoto

For the first time in 16 years, the Columbus Crew have advanced to the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Semifinals, securing a 1-0 win over New York City FC at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field.

Max Arfsten delivered the decisive moment in the 59th minute of a match that lacked consistent attacking rhythm. Following a patient buildup in the attacking third, Nariman Akhundzada found Arfsten in space and finished past the NYCFC goalkeeper, giving the Crew the breakthrough they needed. His goal energized the home supporters and secured Columbus a place in the tournament’s final four.

“I don’t know. I feel like I’m just a bit more confident in front of goal as the games go on, and Open Cup is a fun tournament, and I just wanted to do whatever I could to help us get the win, and I just saw the moment to cut inside, and I saw a little bit of space, and it went in,” said Arfsten.

The first half was characterized by strong defensive organization and few scoring opportunities. Columbus controlled possession at times but struggled to create chances in the final third, while New York City was unable to break through Columbus’s defense. Most of the opening 45 minutes were contested in midfield, with neither team establishing sustained attacking momentum.

The match became more open after halftime, particularly following Arfsten’s first career US Open Cup goal. New York City increased its pressure in pursuit of an equalizer, committing more players forward and forcing Columbus into a defensive posture late in the match. Despite this, the Crew’s back line remained composed and consistently disrupted dangerous passes into the box.

“I feel like we were calm,” said Arfsten.

“I think one main difference from tonight was even though we were winning 1-0, we still had the ball, and we’re being a bit daring and bold with the ball.

“We didn’t just give them the ball and sit back and kind of hope for our lives, like sometimes at the end of games. That’s what I think helped us a lot, was like we actually kept the ball, even though we were up 1-0.”

NYCFC created several tense moments late in the match, but Columbus delivered one of its strongest recent defensive performances. The Crew closed down shooting lanes, won key aerial duels, and prevented New York City from finding a clear opportunity to equalize.

In the end, Crew goalkeeper Nicholas Hagen his second clean sheet of the tournament without having to make a save. Hagen, a Guatemalan international, has only allowed one goal in three Open Cup games and has made a total of four saves during that span.

Columbus Crew players celebrate with Max Arfsten after he scored a goal against New York City FC in the Quarterfinals of the 2026 US Open Cup. Photo: Carlos Hernandez – Black Cat Photography – IG @black_catphoto

This victory is a significant milestone for Columbus, marking its first US Open Cup semifinal appearance since 2010. That year, they lost in the championship game to the Seattle Sounders FC. After weeks of inconsistent league form, the result provides a much-needed confidence boost as the club balances MLS play with knockout competition.

Next, the Crew, who won the 2002 US Open Cup, will host Orlando City SC in the Semifinals the week of Sept. 16-17, with a place in the tournament final at stake.

2026 US Open Cup Quarterfinals Review: Home teams shine as World Cup break approaches

May 21, 2026 by TheCup.us Staff

The home teams all advanced in the 2026 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Quarterfinals. Of the four teams that advanced to the Semifinals, none of them have won multiple US Open Cup titles, and two of them have never lifted the trophy at all.

On Tuesday, Orlando City dominated rival Atlanta United with four goals in the first half helping the 2022 US Open Cup champs move on. St. Louis CITY SC needed penalty kicks to eliminate the Houston Dynamo to punch their ticket to the Semis for the first time in club’s limited history.

Wednesday saw a pair of shutouts with the Columbus Crew holding off New York City FC, and the Colorado Rapids returning to the final four for the first time in 27 years with a 2-0 win over the San Jose Earthquakes.

For fans of the tournament, they will have to exercise some patience because the Semifinals will not take place until the week of Sept. 15-16 because the competition will take a break with the United States co-hosting the FIFA World Cup this summer.

When those Semifinal games take place, the Colorado Rapids will host St. Louis CITY in a battle of teams seeking their first Open Cup title. In the other game, the Columbus Crew will host Orlando City SC with each team seeking a second tournament championship. The winner of Columbus and Orlando will host the 111th US Open Cup Final on Oct. 21.

Below you will find a brief summary of each game with links to the full game recap and video highlights.

TUESDAY, MAY 19

Orlando City SC (MLS)
4:1
Atlanta United FC (MLS)
Inter&Co Stadium – Orlando, FL

By: Connor Bunnell

The quarterfinals opened on a laugher of a rivalry match, as Orlando City demolished Atlanta United.

The two teams had played to a 1-1 regular season draw in the same stadium just four days prior, but this second verse was not the same as the first. City looked like absolute world-beaters in the first half, starting their rampage in the 5th when David Brekalo headed home a cross from Braian Ojeda. Eleven minutes later, Iván Angulo lured Atlanta keeper Jayden Hibbert all the way to one side of the net, then dished to Griffin Dorsey on the other side. Dorsey easily tapped it in for his second goal of this tournament and his third consecutive game with a goal overall.

Hibbert would add to his own misery eight minutes after that by making a terrible clearance that effectively just fed the ball to Orlando’s Tiago Souza. The Brazilian then sent Hibbert diving the wrong way to extend the Lions’ lead. Orlando still weren’t satisfied, getting two additional phantom goals that were ruled offside before finally making it four in first-half stoppage time when Ojeda found Souza, giving the former two assists and the latter two goals.

Emmanuel Latte Lath did eventually deny a clean sheet, scoring in the 84th, but the much quieter second half did nothing to change the outcome. Orlando are now back to the Open Cup semis for the first time since 2022, the year they won it all, and whoever they face there, they’ll have Atlético de Madrid icon Antoine Griezmann in their corner.

[+] FULL MATCH REPORT (with video highlights)

St. Louis CITY SC (MLS)
2:2
Houston Dynamo FC (MLS)
St. Louis CITY SC advances, 4-2 on penalty kicks
Energizer Park – St. Louis, MO

By: Tim Abbott

A wild opening 11 minutes saw a goal for each side. First it was Marcel Hartel for the hosts but almost immediately, Mateusz Bogusz equalized as CITY captain and keeper Roman Bürki slipped and gave away the ball in his penalty area. With only 26 minutes played, Bürki was forced to leave the field of play as a result of his slip, with Ben Lundt taking over. Lundt has 13 MLS games in his entire career.

In the 50th minute, Agustin Resch took all of Sergio Cordova in the penalty area and Hartel scored the resulting penalty kick. Neither side could gather a go-ahead in the rest of regulation, although Becher missed a golden assist opportunity when he decided to shoot instead of passing to Sang Bin.

Guilherme nearly scored in the opening five minutes of ET, but he could not complete. His corner then went out of play. In the 102nd minute, Artur’s curler was palmed wide by Lundt. Dante Pulvara extinguished a Linger chance with a chase back block on his shot with virtually the last touch of the first half of ET.

With nothing much changing, the balance of numbers tipped the way of STL, as Lawrence Ennali was shown a second yellow card which looked very reviewable – but this is pretty much the last game where second yellows are not reviewable by VAR.

Nonetheless, the game was eventually settled from the spot, with St Louis CITY’s Lundt saving two of the four kicks aimed his way in the shootout.

[+] FULL MATCH REPORT (with video highlights)

WEDNESDAY, MAY 20

Columbus Crew SC (MLS)
1:0
New York City FC (MLS)
ScottsMiracle-Gro Field – Columbus, OH

By: Ashle Paige

Wednesday night two clubs on completely different trajectories met for a spot in the Open Cup Semi-Finals. The visitors in New York City FC were eyeing their first appearance in that round and were 3-1-1 in their last five. Columbus Crew on the other hand only had three league wins in fourteen matches and recently dismissed their manager. One goal from the hosts put the Crew over the top and sent them to their first semi-finals in a decade and a half.

A relatively dull first 40 minutes gave way to a Columbus dominated final half plus the end of the first half. In that span Columbus Crew outshot New York City FC 11 to 3 in the final fifty minutes of football. Sometimes a single goal can change the match and the Crew were the side able to score. With the clock ticking closer to the hour mark Columbus was able to break out from their own end with a pass to Nariman Akhundzada at midfield. The 22 year old whipped a through ball downfield to the left side that Max Arfsten picked up and took into the box. Just a step or two into the eighteen Arfsten fired a shot into the bottom corner to score the first goal of the evening.

The single 59th minute goal from Arfsten ended up being the only goal of the match. New York City FC only managed only two more shots through the remainder of the night, both of which were blocked and the visitors finished with five shots on the night. Columbus who just recently sacked Henrik Rydström following five wins in their first sixteen matches won their first match under the helm of caretaker manager Laurent Courtois in his first match in charge.

[+] FULL MATCH REPORT (with video highlights)

Colorado Rapids (MLS)
2:0
San Jose Earthquakes (MLS)
DICK’s Sporting Goods Park – Commerce City, CO

By: Andrew Mosier

For the first time since 1999, the Colorado Rapids advanced to the semifinal round of the U.S. Open Cup with a 2-0 win over the San Jose Earthquakes at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park Wednesday Night.

Darren Yappi and Rafael Navarro scored goals in the waning minutes of the first half to put the Rapids through to host Saint Louis City SC in the semifinal round September 15 or 16.

In the 22^nd minute after San Jose failed to fully clear a Paxten Aaronson free kick, Josh Atencio ran down the ball on the left wing and found Rafael Navarro at the far post. Navarro pushed the ball past the flailing Daniel at the far post. The goal was disallowed when Rob Holding was ruled offside on the initial free kick—without directly being involved with play—nullifying the goal. Unlike earlier Open Cup rounds, VAR was implemented in the quarterfinal round.

With five minutes to play in the first half Darren Yappi banged in a goal that VAR could not take away off a Dante Sealy that began with a short corner. Yappi did everything he needed to connect with Sealy’s driven cross a yard from goal. The goal was Yappi’s first in Open Cup play.

VAR reared its ugly head again eight minutes into first half added time when Bazakos whistled San Jose defender Reid Roberts for an awkward handling of the ball. Bazakos awarded the free kick just outside of the penalty area. But a closer look had Roberts handling the ball inside the penalty area. After a long look, Bazakos awarded the Rapids a penalty kick. Rafael Navarro took the ball and stood on the penalty spot while San Jose made the requisite protests, slotting his shot to Daniel’s right to put the Rapids up 2-0 ten minutes into second half added time.

[+] FULL MATCH REPORT (with video highlights)

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.

“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 Quarterfinals: Orlando City dominate first half, cruise to win over Atlanta United

May 20, 2026 by Taylor George

Iván Angulo of Orlando City SC celebrates after scoring a goal in the first half against Atlanta United FC in the 2026 US Open Cup Quarterfinals. Photo: Orlando City SC — Iván Angulo of Orlando City SC celebrates after his team scored a goal in the first half against Atlanta United FC in the 2026 US Open Cup Quarterfinals. Photo: Orlando City SC

Orlando City SC kept its Lamar Hunt US Open Cup run alive Tuesday night at Inter&Co Stadium in Orlando Florida to advance to the Semifinals with a 4-1 victory against Atlanta United FC.

In front of an energetic announced crowd of 14,254, the Lions dominated the first half scoring four goals (and had opportunities to score more) and never looked back to return to the semis for the third time in club history.

Orlando battled through an intense rivalry matchup that came just three days after the two sides drew 1-1 in MLS season play. Atlanta made seven changes to their starting lineup from last weekend’s game, while Orlando made just two.

Orlando started off aggressively in the opening minutes, pressing Atlanta high and forcing several turnovers in crucial areas. Scoring opened quickly in the fifth minute when David Brekalo gave Orlando an early lead with a header off of a cross from Braian Ojeda. Ojeda crossed the ball from the right wing and Brekalo broke free from his defender at the six yard box and headed it past Atlanta goalkeeper Jayden Hibbert who had no chance.

The early goal helped Orlando settle into the match as additional chances started developing for the Lions. Orlando doubled their lead when Griffin Dorsey had an easy tap in off a low cross from Ivan Angulo, whose speed and dazzling footwork lured the Atlanta goalkeeper in to leave Dorsey at the far post who beat a sliding defender to the ball.

Atlanta responded minutes later when Emmanuel Latte Lath struck the post with a powerful strike to deny the visitors a goal. But that would be the the best chance of the half for United.

It was a nightmare for Atlanta eight minutes later when Orlando punished Atlanta’s keeper who failed to clear possession. Hibbert received a back pass and tried to play the ball out wide but pressure from Ojeda forced him to make a bad pass right to Tiago Souza who dribbled in and beat the keeper to capitalize on the mistake and make it 3-0.

The Lions continued to dominate, collecting many chances, however several of those chances either missed the target or were ruled offside. The biggest was a 2-man breakaway in the 36th minute when a long ball was sent from Orlando’s own half. Thiago ran onto it and Hibbert came off his line to make an impressive save to keep the deficit at three.

Three minutes later, Ojeda was fed a through ball down the left wing and found himself 1-v-1 with the goalkeeper. Hibbert had the angle and got a hand to it with a diving save and the ball just barely missed the target.

Tiago would collect his brace to push Orlando’s lead to 4-0 in the final minute of stoppage time of the first half. An impressive through ball from Ojeda got in behind the defense on the left side which gave Tiago another breakaway. He curled the ball past Hibbert just inside the far post and into the back of the net. It was Ojeda’s second assist of the night and third of the tournament, which ties him for the lead in the competition.

Desperate to change the tide, Atlanta made four substitutions at halftime as the second half would become increasingly physical as both teams battled for control. Atlanta collected five yellow cards during the half while attempting to slow down the Lions’ momentum. The fresh legs helped them create most of the chances in the second half, but only one of them produced a goal.

Atlanta found its lone goal in the 84th minute when Latte Lath produced a brilliant individual effort, blasting a volley into the back of the net off a Saba Lobjanidze cross to make it 4-1. It ruined the shutout for Orlando’s Javier Otero, who only had to make three saves on the night, but it would be too little, too late for Atlanta.

Tiago of Orlando City SC reacts after scoring a goal against Atlanta United FC in the 2026 US Open Cup Quarterfinals. Photo: Orlando City SC

After the match, David Brekalo credited the coaching staff for preparing the tactical approach that helped to limit Atlanta.

“I think I have to give credit to the coaching staff here, they prepared the plan really well, the main point was to either take the ball super high or super low and counterattack them,” said the Slovenian defender. “So it worked exactly like they planned.”

Orlando’s aggressiveness and willingness to break into space created many dangerous moments throughout the game. With this dominant victory, Orlando City SC advances to the US Open Cup Semifinals for the first time since winning their only US Open Cup title in 2022. The Lions will look to use the win to build momentum during a busy stretch of the season.

Orlando’s interim head coach Martin Parelman praised his players after the match for executing the game plan and emphasized the importance of staying focused on the match ahead.

“It worked because they did it,” Parelman said, “they put in the effort and made it happen and I am proud of the players, this is a good victory, this is a good step forward for us, for the club. But it’s just that, we need to maintain balance and now rest and prepare for the next game because we have a very important game.”

The 111th edition of the US Open Cup will now take a length break with the United States co-hosting the FIFA World Cup this summer. Orlando will travel to play the winner of New York City FC and the Columbus Crew in the Semifinals that are scheduled to take place the week of Sept. 15-16. The winner of that Semifinal match will host the 2026 US Open Cup Final, scheduled for Oct. 21.