St. Louis City SC just snagged their first-ever trophy, battling through two hours of play and a wild penalty shootout to defeat the Columbus Crew 5-3 in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup final on Wednesday. This wasn’t just any win, it was an absolute nail-biter, marking the first Open Cup final in 11 years to be decided by penalties, and boy, did it deliver the drama.
A Keeper Down, A Backup Steps Up
Then things got absolutely wild. St. Louis’ starting keeper, Roman Burki, had to be stretchered off in the 78th minute after taking a knee to the head. Dude was a hero, pulling off a big save in the first half and throwing his body on the line again. He was conscious and able to move while leaving the stadium, but it was a scary moment for sure. In came Benjamin Lundt, making just his fourth appearance of the season, and his second time in relief for Burki in an Open Cup penalty shootout this year. Talk about pressure! Lundt immediately had to face a shootout, and he stepped up huge, saving the very first penalty from Santi Rodriguez. That save was all St. Louis needed, because their penalty takers were absolutely clinical under pressure.
Edelman’s Icy Finish and a City’s Long-Awaited Return
Midfielder Daniel Edelman, who played a grueling 120-plus minutes, sealed the deal, burying his penalty down the middle to clinch the win. That’s just pure grit. After the game, Edelman couldn’t say enough about his keepers, telling CBS Sports, “It’s just the next guy up. Roman was a hero. He had another save in the first half, and he’s throwing his body on the line there. He’s done it in Europe, and he’s playing here now in MLS, and he’s still doing what he did in Europe. It’s phenomenal for him and Ben. He started it for us in the Open Cup and had a big penalty save against Houston, and he did it here again today.” During the trophy lift, the team even honored Burki by displaying his jersey, since he was still at the hospital getting checked out. That’s a classy move, and it’s an absolute legend move by the whole squad to win it for him.
This win is huge for St. Louis, a city that’s long been known as a soccer hotbed. They’re no stranger to winning the Open Cup, having won it 10 times between 1920 and 1988, with the Busch Seniors being the last to take home the title in ’88. Now, after starting play in 2023, St. Louis City SC has ended that drought, bringing silverware back to the Gateway to the West. Edelman summed it up perfectly, saying, “It’s the first trophy for me and for a lot of guys in this city because you look up there and you see that [the support from away fans] and they completely deserve to have some silverware and for us as a team, what we’ve been through this year, it’s phenomenal for us to have this night and have this trophy.” Under coach Yoann Damet, this team has shown unbelievable resilience, overcoming injuries to secure this Open Cup title with their backup keeper. What a story!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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